Bring Me to Life
by ObsidianSorrows
Summary: COMPLETE When Yuffie's ignorance and jealously leads her to contract a deadly disease, how far will Squall go to save her? Epilogue added!
1. Finding Out the Truth

 Bring Me to Life

 Disclaimer: Don't own it, but I wish I did. 

Chapter One: Finding Out the Truth

 Knocking is decent enough. Yeah, that's what they all say. Then when you do so, they don't bother to answer. No one seemed to be paying attention to _her _lately anyways. With all of the worlds sealed and as right as rain, she was completely useless. 

 _'It's because I'm the youngest,_' she thought peevishly. It was an insult, and it didn't take a fool to see that. She was a lot more skilled than most, but she didn't complain. Which was most unusual for her, for she was the one who was always loud and optimistic about everything. 

 Cid had scolded her about that once, she remembered. Told her to stop being so self-centered and think about everyone else once in a while. She had pouted at him, and he had gone off, muttering a string of curses as he went. That was another thing. Everyone seemed to be scolding her, telling her to grow up. She was only sixteen, for crying out loud. It wasn't her fault she was stuck with a party of stiffs. They were all so serious. Cid, Aerith, Cloud, and Squall. 

 Squall. Ha ha. Ok, once every blue moon he would lighten his attitude, if only for a few seconds. But then he would go serious again, putting that stupid mental wall around himself. It was so irritating she could scream. The only one who seemed to really understand her was Aerith. Apart from being the only other girl, she was an extremely good listener. She never rebuked Yuffie like the others did. Not that she did it with anyone else. Aerith was always so calm and gentle, it was hard not to be comfortable around her. Sometimes it made Yuffie feel slightly ashamed. Aerith always took the logical path, while Yuffie would go in, attacking and brandishing her shuriken, raring for a fight. 

 Yuffie leaned against the wall, sliding to the floor. She made sure when she hit it she made a loud thumping noise in the process. She knew no one was going to notice though. It hurt, in a way. She liked getting attention. It was the only thing she could do, in the least. She had never admitted it to anyone, but she was always nervous around the four of them. All being past at least twenty-one, she was constantly worried about what they would think of her. She wanted to feel accepted, since she could never be in their age range. She was constantly worrying about failing, or making a mistake because they would call her kid, or a baby. Sure, they called her kid all the time because of her upbeat attitude, but that was different. They all knew just because she acted like one didn't mean she was one. But physically, it was a whole different story. She wanted to be mature physically. Not like body, but in strength and battle. To think just like them when she fought. As long as she had that, she was accepted. 

 That was the reason she was always so nervous. Her connection with them was hanging by a mere thread. Cut it, and she was alone. She didn't want to hang with other kids her age. It was fun, at times, but she really enjoyed being with these particular four. After pondering if for a while, she changed her mind, only slightly. Being with the younger wasn't so bad. 

 Like with Sora. When she met him, it was like looking at a younger her, except of the gender difference. He was sanguine, like her, and they also shared the same doubts and fears. Losing their friends. Not being connected with anyone. That was probably why she got along with him so well. But he was gone now, back to his own world, with his own friends. Yuffie wondered briefly what if would've been like if she had just followed them. She could be careless, be free. She wouldn't have to worry about them judging her, because they practically looked up to her. She can duel with them, using those cute, mock wooden swords. She could get married there, have children, and live a calm, peaceful life. But no. She was stuck here, constantly watching her back, staying with these people who didn't notice she was there. 

 She didn't know what had changed her mood all of a sudden, just that this was the first in a long time that she felt genuinely left out and annoyed. It was a spur of the moment thing, but she was known for that. Besides, with all of the commotion of getting things in order again, she doubted anyone would be a flying damn about what she decided to do.

 She craned her head toward the door that had just opened, the door that she'd been guarding for a while. The suspense of what they'd been doing in there _without_ her was eating away at her insides.

 The surprise on their faces was evident when they noticed the ninja sitting on her rump, just waiting for them. She was pretty sure she looked like a desperate puppy, waiting for its master to return home from work to feed it. 

 "How's it goin'?" Cid spoke first. "What're you doing on the floor?" He paused only to take a drag of his disgusting cigarette; the very object that Yuffie was sure was going to kill him about thirty years too soon. 

 "Waiting for the time bomb I planted in the library to go off, dissipating everything in this planet, save for me, because I've created a hydro powered force field space suit that reflects the blow of the blast and leaves me all alone as the perfect, cynical, happy camper."

 "All righty then," Cid mused, not at all unfamiliar with Yuffie's superhero fantasies. 

 "You said that you were going downtown to re-supply any provisions that we have a deficiency of," Squall murmured calmly, eying her with boredom, and slight disappointment. 

 "Yeah? I'll do it later Squall. We don' need all that crap anyhoo!" 

 "Leon," he muttered irritably, brushing his russet bangs out of his eyes. Yuffie got a glimpse of the peculiar scar across Squall's face, albeit; if only for a moment's breathe. 

 "Whatever Squall," she countered, waving it off. She hated that stupid, damnable nickname that he was so intent on using. She had to admit, she'd always had some romantic fantasy about how she'd persuade him to change his name back to Squall, and she also admitted that a handful of them were X-rated.

 "So…" she drawled in an annoying fashion. "What were you guys doing **without me**?" She was near screaming the last part. If they left her out one more time so help them God…

 "We were conferring about the…current state of the world connections," Aerith said in her soft, dulcet tone. 

 "What's there to discuss about?" Yuffie asked dumbly, her attention span for an actual answer zero to none. 

 "The-" 

 Cloud cut Aerith off, silencing her with a gentle glare that made Yuffie suspicious. When it came to hiding secrets, they had to be the worst there was. 

 "Things have changed," Cloud said shortly, glancing around as if someone might be spying. Yuffie didn't know whether she was mocking him or it was her own paranoia, but she suddenly found herself darting looks around too.

 "Annnndddd it was so damn complicated that you _conveniently_ left me out of it?" 

 "We don't have the specifics yet and it would be extraneous to tell you something that could be a lie," Squall's hawk eyes unnerved, and fascinated her at the same time. But, considering her current state, she didn't seem to feel either. It was mostly clouded by annoyance and anger.

 "Well excuse me Mr. I'm-A-Friggin'-Walking-Dictionary, but it seems that you were perfectly inclined to tell them a lie." She motioned toward Cid, Aerith, and Cloud. She watched something flicker in the Gunblade wielder's eyes, and she knew she was lighting the match too close to the gas. "Unless," she paused, knowing she should just stop there. If she made Squall angry…

 "Unless it's not a lie, but the truth, and you just don't want me to know about it all." 

 Squall narrowed his eyes, moving toward her with speed she didn't think she possessed. She felt his gloved hand on her wrist, pulling her up, and pushing her down at the same time. 

 "I didn't invite you because I didn't think a brat of your caliber would be able to process the severity of what we're dealing with," he hissed with venom and sarcasm. Yuffie's eyes widened, feeling his grip on her wrist tighten like an iron hand.  

 "Leon," Aerith's voice was bordering between trepidation and beseeching. "Don't you think you're being a little harsh on her?" 

 Yuffie wanted to say something to add to that comment, but all that came out was a pitiful squeak. 

 Squall narrowed his eyes at the young ninja, and released his grip on her lithe wrist. She looked down at it, somewhat shocked to see how white it had become from lack of circulation. Had she really made him that angry because of a few irrelevant hen peckings?

 "What's got his undies all in a twist?" Yuffie whispered, rubbing her sore wrist. He had already stalked away, probably going off to scare the shit out of some hapless civilian. 

 "He has a lot on his mind," Aerith said apologetically. "There's a lot of pressure on him right now, and I guess when you started to harass him with comments, he let out his anger on you." 

 "Oh…" she realized what Aerith just said. "Harass? _Me _harass _him?_ She waved her bruised wrist in front of the mild female's face. "**This** is harassment! Sexual harassment, if you look at it in a perverted sorta way!" 

 "Shut yer trap," Cid whacked her on the head. "It can't hurt that bad." 

 "Not really…" _'But that slap on the head did…'_

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie was walking out of the front entrance to the castle when she ran smack-dab into the man that she was fuming about. She glared up into the indigo pupils, his proximity and smell like opium to her system. 

 "You should watch where you're going." 

 "Yeah, I could say the same to you!" Yuffie snapped. "What the hell were you doing, standing in the middle of the whole damn walkway!?" 

 "Stop questioning me," he snapped back, the same anger from before still fueled in his eyes. "It's not very wise to make me irate." 

 "Oh, so we're all macho now!" she glared at him. "It's not smart to make me angry either! Gawd…" 

 Squall ignored her, staring pointedly into the other direction. The wind blew past them with a whistling sigh, but it did nothing to calm the two comrades on the balcony. 

 "What's going on?" Yuffie finally asked, the suspense tearing her apart. "Just tell me, please? I swear I won't ask any questions!" 

 "We are going to Traverse Town." 

 "Because….?" 

 "Just because." 

 Yuffie frowned, furrowing her brow in confusion. It had to take a bunch of man-eating zombies and the apocalypse to get more than two sentences out of Squall's mouth.

 "OK _Leon,"_ she groaned. "And why are we going to Traverse Town? If you haven't noticed, there are those things called _barriers._" 

 "This is why I didn't want to tell you," he said with vexation. 

 Yuffie pouted, silently deriding him in her mind. He always had a way to cut off a conversation before she had a chance to say all of her piece. 

 "Whelps," she started again, still not fully understanding the edgy silence that had ensued after he had told her that. It was as if he'd uttered some illicit secret and was just waiting for his death sentence. "Ya know what's happening in three days?" 

 Squall's face remained stoic, not a muscle moving to acknowledge her question. She glowered at his somber profile, the thought of how he must look when he smiled only a fleeting feeling. 

 It was no secret that it was her birthday in three days. She'd somewhat dreaded it happening, because last time she'd had a number seven in her age, she'd been attacked by Heartless, with her parents brutally killed. But she'd kept pretty optimistic about it, thinking of it as only a celebration for her being alive. 

 Squall finally did answer, but it wasn't what she was expecting. 

 "I'm…getting married, in three days." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Aerith shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The air was full of premonition and anger. Cloud noticed this and gently placed his hand over hers. She let out an audible sigh. She wished she had told Yuffie. So many times had she been close to blurting out the truth but then Cloud, or Leon would pass by and give her a warning glare. She really didn't know why not telling Yuffie was such a big deal to them. It was cruel.

Aerith rubbed her temples, removing her hand from Cloud's. It was still hard for her to process that Squall was getting married, since she barely even knew it herself. She craned her head around, glancing once in awhile towards the back, then around at the ship.

 The Gummi Ship they were currently riding was a lot bigger than average. It had a column on each side of it, with the seats broken into two each. There were three rows, so the ship was able to hold twelve people in all. Cid sat at the controls, waving them away when they had asked to pilot it. Aerith and Cloud sat in the first row, directly across from Cid. Squall sat right behind the pilots seat, by himself. They had used the extra seats for their luggage. Finally, all the way in the back, sat Yuffie. She had her knees pulled up to her chest, as she stared venomously at the chair in front of her. She didn't seem to notice that two rows up sat Aerith, who was trying to read her expression. It was no use though; all Aerith could she was the side of Yuffie's body. 

 Yuffie narrowed her eyes at the chair and swung her right leg at it, kicking it hard. She imagined it was all of them that were getting hit. Her kick had caused the whole ship to shake a little, but only caused Aerith to look back and Cloud to glance. Cid was too busy piloting and Squall just didn't give a damn. She couldn't think of how her luck could get any worse. She really wouldn't have cared if Squall had just plain out said that he'd not known it was her birthday, but when he said he was getting married, she almost fainted. She always liked surprises but-shit- not this.

 There was no doubt in her mind that she hated all of them for not telling her. It wasn't just because of Squall's wedding to some unknown bimbo either.

 Christ, they were actually going to Traverse Town. She didn't know if this was all part of the "Don't Tell Yuffie About Squall's Wedding" plan or not. She had no idea how they had found out that they could actually go to Traverse Town. Or maybe they didn't know, and they'd traveled all this way just to come smashing into an invisible all. 

 What about Sora? Wouldn't he be up and about by now, running around and trying to fix everything? 

 She groaned with resentment. She curled up into a tighter ball, and slowly succumbed to sleepiness. 

 She was angry at herself for not understanding, but even angrier at them for not helping her to.

~*~*~*~

 The ship made a fairly smooth landing. They all got up, save for Yuffie who was still in deep sleep, and started to unload their bags and luggage. Aerith wasn't surprised that Yuffie didn't move. She slowly walked to the back of the ship, to try and coax Yuffie off. When she got there she realized that Yuffie was sleeping. Gently, she shook her. Either she was really sleeping or she refused to wake because the ninja didn't move. Aerith shook her harder, calling her name. Yuffie grunted, irritated, and swatted at the hand. She turned over, her back facing Aerith. The pink-clad girl let out a heavy sigh.

 "Yuffie," she called out. The youthful and slumbering girl ignored her. "Yuffie," she repeated. "We're here. At Traverse Town. Please get up….you can sleep in the hotel." 

 Yuffie just sat there, as unmoving as ever. Her legs had uncurled so that only the top portion of her body was turned opposite of Aerith. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her torso, her face buried between the wall and the chair. The ancient stood there for a few minutes, debating what to do. 

 "Cloud," she finally said. The blond turned in her direction questioningly. "Carry Yuffie." 

 It was a simple request, but it still made Cloud stare. It had also gotten the attention of Squall, who was watching the angel closely, as if daring him to refuse. Cloud just nodded though, wanting to please Aerith. Besides, Cloud had known Yuffie in his world too, and she was like a little sister to him. He walked over to where the girls were and examined the young ninja. Aerith moved out of the way as Cloud tried to pick up the girl. It was somewhat hard, because she was sitting in the chair next to the window, meaning that he had to reach over the first chair to reach her. He ended up kneeling on the first chair, due to Yuffie's position. He forced the armrests between the seats up and placed one arm under her legs and the other arm under her neck, and lifted her up. She was a lightweight, so it wasn't difficult. He stumbled out into the isle, banging his foot on the base of the chair. This is what he got for going along with them.

 They got to the hotel with barely any problem. The people moved out of their way, half because of the way Yuffie was being carried, (obviously they thought she was injured), and half because Cloud and Squall looked intimidating. They bought three rooms, one for Cloud and Aerith, one for Squall, and one for Cid. They had debated on whether or not to get a four room for Yuffie, since she usually roomed with Squall, but surprisingly Cid agreed she could sleep with him. (A/N: Not like that,don't get any ideas.) She suspected that he felt sorry for her.

 They threw their baggage into their respective rooms before going out to the cafe to get some food. Cloud agreed to stay behind until Yuffie woke up. He had realized he hadn't spent much time with her as he should have. 

 He watched her sleeping form, thinking of other things. He had been preoccupied being with Aerith so much that he had forgotten to catch up on old times. She had spent time with them a lot, always managing to keep her spirits up. He had been the one to protect her when she couldn't. He may love Aerith, but he cared enough for Yuffie that he could get extremely pissed if someone hurt her. Lately, he had been starting to feel that more than usual. He never told anyone this though, for they might think he was developing feelings for her. He had always felt something for her, but not like that. 

 He knew about her feelings for Squall. It bothered him. Like how a father is bothered when he sees his daughter getting flirted with. Squall didn't flirt with her, but at times it seemed as if he did. It made Cloud angry to no end, because he knew that Squall was just leading her on. Making her think that he had feelings for her, then pushing her away. She was only a kid, and he didn't have a right to use her like that. Besides, weren't they like, nine years apart? Yuffie deserved someone better than that. Someone more like her, more in her age limit. 

 Cloud briefly considered this. He wasn't any matchmaker, and he wasn't planning to be. It wasn't his place to meddle in her business. If she didn't want anyone, then that was her choice. A soft groan was heard from beneath the sheets. Cloud got up and padded quietly over to the bed, placing his metal fingers on her arm. Her eyes opened slowly and she turned to stare at him, leaving him feeling awkward. She didn't have that childish spark in her eye like she always did. Her eyes looked faded, worn out. She shifted her gaze abruptly, casting her eyes upon his metal hand. She seemed to stare at it for an eternity, arguing silently what to do. Part of her wanted to scream and push him away, demanding why he didn't tell her about anything. Another part of her just wanted to throw herself into his arms, crying and sobbing, telling him everything. But she did neither. She just continued to fake examine his metallic hand. 

 He knelt down slowly, until he was eye level with her. He knew what was wrong, so he wasn't going to ask. 

 Yuffie's body was shaking. She knew he was looking at her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold back when it came to returning his gaze. She tilted her head up slightly, unable to hold back those small tears that slipped down her cheeks like silk. Something passed through his eyes before he opened his arms. His eyes told her it was ok to let things go. She cringed, more tears cascading down her face. Finally, she threw herself into his arms, crying like crazy. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her like a troubled child. 

 "I-It's not fair," she gasped out. Cloud let out a soft sigh as she continued to sob and shake, gripping his tightly. 

 "Nothing's fair," he responded. 

 "He hates me," she bawled. "And I hate him too….or at least-dammit- I wish that was true…" she cried, banging her head continuously against his stable shoulder.

 "Listen," he responded. He paused, thinking of what to say. "Forget about him," he said abruptly, knowing he was probably the worst advice-giver in the world. She had stopped crying, as if thinking about his horrible recommendation as much as he was, which was not at all. "I'll…take you out for a day, OK?" he quickly said to cover up his stupid suggestion.

 At first Yuffie couldn't respond. She was sure if she opened her mouth, she would start bawling all over again. She had to give it to him, he knew how to make a person feel better. She always knew he was sweet, being so quiet and all. It sounded somewhat ridiculous, like a guy trying to win back his girlfriend. Reflecting on it, she realized that the whole situation was ridiculous. So ridiculous that it had pushed Cloud to actually offer spending a whole day with her, something that was highly unordinary for him. The only person he did that too was Aerith, but that was different because they were in love.

 She suddenly burst into laughter. His voice and his words replayed in her mind, making the whole thing sound cornier every time it repeated. His blood red cape covered his mouth completely, but Yuffie had a feeling that he was smiling. 

"Why not?" she smiled, although it was still slightly forced. "We can talk about that time you called me your love bunny when I was a kid." 

 "Excuse me? That was an accident, I've told you that a million times! You know I didn't mean you when I said it!" 

 "But you **did** say it," she pointed out. 

 "This is what I get for trying to be a gentleman," he muttered, putting his head in his hands. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "So, you wanna get going then?" 

 "Right now?" she asked incredulously. "But-" 

 "Stop whining," he commanded her, standing up. "We're going now, whether you want to or not." 

 "Yessir!" she yelled, climbing out of the bed and almost tripping on the sheets. "I'm coming my love bunny!" she screamed loudly into the hallway as she locked the door. 

 "SHUTTUP!" 

 Yuffie went skipping after him, somewhat taking a sickly delight in the anomalous way that Squall stared at them as they passed. At least she got a look out of him, and it was better than nothing. 

 Squall shook his head, ebon mane brushing against his back, he went quietly back into his room, trying to force the picture of the insane Yuffie and Cloud trouncing down the hallway, and concentrated more on his wedding. 

 It was gonna be hell. 

A/N: Did'ja like it? Woot, this is my first story. Actually, this is the revised chapter, because the original one was a bunch of !$@&! Anyhoo….next chapter things start to get ugly. __


	2. Reuniting

 Bring Me to Life

 Disclaimer: I don't own it, except for Luxina and the plot. 

Chapter 2:Reuniting

 Cloud let himself be dragged around by the young ninja. She was practically venturing into every store that looked worthy enough. He couldn't argue with her about it, because then that would be calling himself a hypocrite. They had already visited an antique shop, a toy store, an accessories shop, and an outdoor steak house, which they had mistaken for a petting zoo because of all the animals in the back. She hadn't seen anything she had wanted yet, from what she had told him. Or maybe it was that she was feeling modest about him treating her and she didn't want to get something expensive. 

 She had paused; letting go of the death grip she had on his arm. She was gazing into a particular shop. The mercenary backed up, trying to get a better look at the sign. It read, 'Wandering Worlds' with an illuminated picture of a colorful globe in the background. She dragged him inside, the door making a ringing noise as the bells on the handle thrummed. He had to admit, after wandering his eyes around the large shop, that it was probably the best one yet. It was a lot larger than he had thought. It was like a grocery store. There was a small, comfy looking room with a desk in the front, near the back, opposite of the entrance door. There were antiques from almost all the different worlds hanging on the walls, mostly masks. From there stood about three checkout lanes, each with their own uniformed workers with a modern cashier in front of them. Behind that the store expanded greatly, a maze of cultures. There were toys, food, clothing, furniture, utensils, and even greeting cards and posters all from different planets, each categorized into their own, save for the food. They had mostly chocolates in the food section, but there was also coffee, authentic drinks, and wine. Now Cloud understood why all the stores next to this one were empty. There were all just branches to this one. 

 Cloud walked up to one of shelves, momentarily forgetting about Yuffie. He picked up what looked like a music box. It had a huge shell on the top, with a small-carved mermaid inside, made from coral. He replaced in, and picked up another item, examining it. 

 "Cloud!" He heard a voice, almost next to him, ring out. "They have a weaponry room in the back," Yuffie exclaimed excitedly. Cloud arched his brow in surprise. "But," she paused in annoyance. "I need to have a guardian twenty one or over to be allowed in."

 Cloud nodded. He knew it was for the public's safety, but it also seemed unfair. He followed her as she paced around to the way back of the store. When you think it couldn't get any bigger, it seemed to expand unknowingly. She pointed to a large room in the back, with a huge sign over it that said 'Weapons.' It also clearly stated you needed a grown up to enter. Yuffie walked up to the room, where a man stood, leaning against one of the walls. He turned to look at Yuffie.

 "I thought I told you needed an adult to enter," he snapped. Yuffie glared at him, but before she could throttle him, Cloud stepped in front of her.

  "I'm her guardian," he stated. The guard seemed to stare at him for a long time before he finally motioned them inside. Yuffie stuck her tongue out at the man as she passed. He wasn't allowed to return the gesture though, for Cloud was watching him. 

 The room had a wild array of weapons from swords, to daggers to spiked clubs and steel fans. Yuffie was already examining a crowd of weapons against the wall. A man stood behind the counter, who looked surprisingly like Cid, only with black hair and several ear piercing. 

 "Need any help?" his voice rumbled out through the room like thunder. Cloud didn't answer, only walked towards him. 

 "How did you get all this stuff?" 

 The man chuckled lightly, as if remembering something. "Before when the worlds were all connected," he began. " A bunch of travelers from other worlds would come here. Most of them had bundles of crap from their world and they traded with the locals for money to stay here. Most of 'em didn't want the stuff they gave them, so we decided to start a shop and sell them to people who were actually interested. It started out small at first, but soon we started to acquire so much that we had to expand, until we got to this. Now it's practically an outlet, with people flocking here everyday. After the worlds became separated again, everyone turned interested in what we had to offer."

 Cloud pondered on what he had just said, when Yuffie came sauntering back to him. She was holding something. 

  "I want this," she stated. Cloud took it from her hands. It was a long, thin sword, detailed intricately. Cloud didn't know why she wanted it, but agreed anyways. They went back out of the room, giving glares to the man as they left. They paid for it, and had it wrapped up to protect it. Not until they got back outside and were traveling back to the second sector did she speak.

 "Aren't you wondering why I chose this particular one?" Cloud nodded his head slightly. "Because it reminds me of my childhood." 

 Cloud nodded again. He had grown up with her, just like Aerith, Squall, and Cid had. All in Hollow Bastion together. But for some reason he couldn't think of why it would've reminded her of her youth. She wouldn't speak more of it though. At the hotel, Cloud wished her goodnight. He then left to join the others. They had a lot to talk about. 

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie yawned tiredly as she looked around at her surroundings from her vantage point on the floor. She had left the bed to Cid, and made a makeshift sleeping place next to the small coffee table. The bed was ruffled and worn in, telling her he had used it. She took a shower, slipped on her normal clothes, and finally attached her shuriken. She was tired of being saved for not having any weapons with her and she refused to let it happen again. 

 She didn't feel very happy. For most people, this should be a day of celebration. 'Nov. 20.' She put on a stoic face and slowly walked out of the room. She was going to act happy for them, but still look like she didn't care. She dragged herself out of 'Cid's' room, crossing her arms over her chest. She traveled out to the cafe to get something to eat, for her stomach was killing her. She hadn't realized she hadn't eaten for a whole day until now. She ordered a donut to go, and started to travel randomly around Traverse Town, for some reason enjoying the crowded and warm feeling of the streets. She traveled to every sector, and then returned to the first district after about an hour. Despite her earlier instructions, she couldn't help but feel bitter. 

 _'She' _was here. Fixating a false smile on her face, she bounded toward them. Cid, Cloud, Aeris and Leon were already there. At the sight of her, Aerith shifted nervously. She had no idea how she would react to all of this. But she didn't appear angry of frustrated. She had that same childish grin on her face as always, but there was something else behind it. Something unreadable to the plain eye. She hopped next to Aerith watching as the caravan of people entered. 

 Upon first seeing her, Yuffie had to admit she was quite beautiful. She had long black hair that extended past her waist, gleaming and shining in the morning light. She had a small but curvy frame. She wore a tight dress that came halfway to her thighs, with sleeves that billowed out like a kimono. She looked about twenty-three or twenty-four. Yuffie frowned. Geez, she really was a child, compared to Luxina. 

 Luxina ran over to Squall, squealing happily. The sound was like poison to Yuffie. _'I could slash those squealing lips right off of her face,' _Yuffie thought, angered. _'What am I saying?!' _her mind screamed at her. _'Why do you care so much?!' _ 

 Squall didn't look that comfortable. He couldn't help think of how the hell he had gotten into this situation. There was this woman, practically groping at him, in front of everyone. It was indescribably defiling and extremely annoying. He didn't even like her. She was the one that was crazy over him. Plus, everyone knew she had sleep with numerous guys. You could practically smell the deceit and lies that clung to her like wet clothing. He didn't want that. He wanted someone pure, innocent, and someone who actually had a brain.

 _'Good fuck that woman is disgusting,' _Cid thought. She didn't even have the privilege to be called a woman. Cid turned his head slightly to look at Yuffie. She was staring straight ahead. Or at least trying to. _'Poor kid,' _he thought. He knew about her feelings for Squall. After all, he had been the one to make her admit it to him in the first place.

 Luxina had stopped acting like a slut and was had walked up to Cid, greeting him. She did the same to Cloud, but eyed him a bit suggestively. Cloud grimaced and turned his head away from her, repulsed. She stopped at Aerith.

 "Ever liked Squall?" It was more like a demand instead of a question. Aerith stared her dead in the eye and gave a curt 'no'. Luxina stared awhile longer, then, seeming satisfied, moved on to Yuffie. She fixated her with a glare. Yuffie returned it, with just as much venom. She was having this over powering urge to grab her Conformers at that moment. 

 She was looking over Yuffie with a criticizing gaze. Yuffie dared her to insult her with her eyes. She wouldn't flinch and she was determined to bring this woman down. 

  "What are you?" the bitch finally asked. Yuffie couldn't think of a ruder question. _'What am I?!' _her mind screamed. _'I'm a girl! A ninja! A virgin! What do you mean by 'what am I' you stupid!' _ But thankfully, she didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring straight ahead. Luxina seemed annoyed by her silence, and shockingly, she slowly brought her hand across the young ninja's face, and slapped her.

 Yuffie just stood there, her cheek burning like fire. Her anger was boiling over. Cid bellowed a loud curse and Aerith yanked Yuffie away, before she went crazy. Cloud went with Aerith, watching Luxina. Yuffie could have easily broke free of the hold, but didn't want to. Not at the moment anyways. Luxina watched the whole scene, pleased with herself. Behind her, Squall stood there, shocked. Why did she slap Yuffie? He didn't think it was right. At all. He wasn't exactly on speaking terms with Yuffie at the moment, but she was still his friend, on some level. Slowly she walked out to Luxina, and took her by the wrist, squeezing hard.

 "That wasn't necessary," he snapped at her. She just ignored him, and stared to yell at Yuffie.

 "Don't mess with me, girl," she whipped out. "Adults can't love children!" 

 That seemed to stop everything. Everyone's eyes seemed to widen, save for Luxina and Yuffie. Yuffie's eyes narrowed so that she held the resemblance of a cat. An extremely pissed off one. Aerith's grip tightened on Yuffie, fearing all hell would break loose if Yuffie broke her hold. For a fleeting moment, Yuffie held a look at no one had ever seen before. It was the kind of look a person got before they were just about to have the stool kicked out from under then before they were hanged. It quickly passed though and Yuffie donned a bright, smiley face. Everyone stared at her. 

 "I don't know what you're talking about," she beamed. "I hope you two have a nice life together."

  She broke off into a run, although she wasn't sure what she was running from. The truth seemed the most logic. It wasn't until she was about a block or two away that she let the tears stream down her face, blown out faster by the wind. She had never felt so distressed in her life. She ran to the Second District. She knew where she could get some peace.

 She slammed into the Gizmo Shop, scaring the workers there half to death. She ignored their protests and complaints as she went out the back door into the alley. She turned to her left, and, making sure the ladder was stable, climbed up it. She stumbled onto the clock towers roof, the world below her streaming with people. People were just now starting to fill the streets, the importance of 'morning' business dawning on them. 

 Yuffie walked over to the edge, and without hesitating, swing her legs over the side, and sat there, her legs dangling uselessly. It didn't take long for bystanders to notice her. Some people just gave her a glance, others screamed. The guards of the District looked slightly peeved about her being up there, but thankfully left her alone. Some security this District had. Yuffie sat there for hours, not knowing what time it was, if it was even the same day. She just sat and waited, staring up at the sky.  

She sat there some more until the sky seemed to drop with more darkness than usual. Laughter and screams were heard, the sounds of nightlife. Although in Traverse Town, it was always night. Somehow the people just knew when this times of day were. They had setup up a bar somewhere, and she was sure that adults were flocking to it. Probably some under-agers too, if they dared. 

 The stars glistened iridescently, as the moon shone with a pale yellow. It was odd, that even though the moon was huge, that it probably wouldn't be shining so brightly if it didn't have those other little stars to shine on it. Those little stars that no one paid attention to, because they were so small. So unnoticeable among the sea of trillions of other planets and voids. No one ever bothered to learn more about the stars, because they seemed so unimportant. Why study one, when it is the same as another one? The bigger ones were the ones that mattered to people. The one-of-a-kind ones. So many worlds out there, but they all shared the same system. At this moment, somewhere out there, someone was gazing at the same sky as Yuffie was.

 It was getting cold, Yuffie realized. Her stinging skin and clammy hands told her that. Her legs felt like cement against the rooftop. She shimmied backwards, until her feet were no longer dangling. She crawled onto all fours and pushed herself up from there. It hurt to walk, after not doing so for almost six hours. She grappled down the ladder and ran around the back of the alley. She scaled the wall and jumped onto the balcony of her hotel room. She remembered she had to share it with Cid and reminded herself to tell him she was coming in. She could tell he was there by the thumping going on inside. 

 "Cid, I'm back," she called, her old self-taking over slightly. She watched with humor as Cid jumped, cursing as he slammed his foot on the small coffee table. He whirled around like a wild man.

 "Shit Yuffie! Where are you! I swear I'm gonna kill you!" 

 Yuffie jumped in front of the now open balcony doors. She did a pose and stuck out her tongue at the gummi dealer. Cid glared murder at her and started to chase her around the room. She yelled like a child and ran with him, knowing he couldn't catch her. He realized this too, after about five minutes of trying to nab her. He threw himself onto the bed, breathing loudly.

 "Damn kid, you got some nerve," he muttered. Yuffie just snorted and pulled out her rolled up sheets, rearranging it on the floor. Cid was silent now, only his breathing being heard. He finally spoke. 

 "Aye, I'm proud of you."

 Yuffie stopped what she was doing. She knew what he was talking about. She didn't want to choke up again, she had done that twice in two days already. She just placed herself onto her bed, tracing circles onto her pillow. "Thanks," she whispered quietly. "I...," she paused, thinking of a good answer. "I really wanted to hurt her," she finally said. "She insulted me, because she knew I liked Squall. I don't know how she figured it out. But it hurt. Especially to be said in front of everyone."

 She could hear Cid thinking. Despite herself, she let out a laugh. She could see the look on Cid's face. "You think too loud, ya old fart." That got Cid moving. 

  "OLD FART?!" he demanded. Yuffie doubled over with laughter. "THIS OLD FART HAS SAVED YOUR ASS COUNTLESS TIMES AND THAT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO CALL ME!!"

 Yuffie had to admit, Cid was funny when he was angry. She let out a sigh, but shut up when Cid threw a pillow at her head. "Go to sleep," he said. This time his tone wasn't angry. It sounded sorry. Yuffie complied, and laid down, pulling her covers tightly around her. She missed the old days.

~*~*~*~

 Aerith hummed a soft tune as the four of them sat at a table at the cafe. Luxina had insisted she had a table alone with Squall, so all they could do was comply. Cid was stirring around a mug of coffee, Yuffie was chewing on a donut (her fourth one) and Cloud was staring at the mug of hot chocolate he had ordered. He hadn't felt like coffee at the moment, but now he wished he had some. Everyone had agreed not to talk about what had happened the day before. It was in everyone's best interest to not bring it up. 

  Yuffie wiped the sugary glaze off of her cheeks, placing her donut down momentarily. She hadn't eaten like this in awhile. Indulging herself, that is. The ninja quickly stole a glance at Squall's fiancée. She had a small cup of tea and a plate with two miniscule cookies on it. _'She must be a vegetarian,' _Yuffie thought with annoyance. _'Or she just wants to stay as skinny as a twig.' _ Yuffie stared at the mug that was snuggled between Cloud's hands. Envisioning the hot, tasty chocolate sitting inside of it made her mouth water. She was seriously thirsty. Plus, hot cocoa tasted good with pastries. 

 She shoved her chair back, making a loud screeching noise as it grated across the floor. She walked over to the counter, which had a chubby red-haired woman working behind it. She waddled over to Yuffie, making the ground shake slightly. 

 "What da' ya' want hon?" she asked in a heavy accent. Yuffie fought the urge to cover her nose, because, no offense, but the woman's breath stank. 

 "I would like some hot chocolate, please," Yuffie said, trying to talk without opening her mouth. Yuffie glanced at the woman's clothing. The cloth seemed to stretch across the woman's massive body, pushing those small little buttons to the limit. Yuffie inched away slightly, not wanting to be a victim of one of her buttons sling-shooting out. The body turned away from her, leaving Yuffie to stare at an 'elephants' back. She didn't mean to be judgmental, it was just that the whole wedding thing had made her angry, and this woman seemed to be the closest to take her frustrations out on. 

 A loud grinding noise was heard for a few seconds, followed by an unpleasant sloshing noise. The woman turned around again, and handed Yuffie a huge wooden cup filled to the brim with steaming liquid. The ninja thanked her, handed her some munny, and shuffled back to the table. It didn't matter though because she ended up spilling it onto her hand as she set it down. She let out an exasperated sigh, and wiped her burning hand on the side of her shorts. She wasn't very happy now because she had to wait for the evil thing to cool down. 

 "How did the wedding go?" The question was popped out of nowhere. Yeah, she was agitated by it, but she was also curious. She became even more so when the three people at the table smiled. Yuffie scrunched up her nose and stared at Aerith, who was grinning like an idiot. "What," the youth snapped. "Did a heartless come and ravage the bride's balls or something? WHAT!! Tell me!!" 

 Cid snorted at the implying that the bride had balls, but spoke out anyways since Aerith and Cloud looked more cracked up about the ninja's words than him. "There was no wedding. That woman wouldn't stop pestering Squall until finally the poor boy just snapped and told her he didn't want to marry her because he didn't even like her." Aerith and Cloud had put on straight faces again, watching the shinobi's face carefully. Her head was bent down low, almost touching the table. _'There was no wedding...' _ 

 Nonchalantly, Yuffie picked herself up off of the chair, glaring at the stone ground. Not surprisingly, the 'couple' at the other table had heard, both having opposite reactions. Squall, felt relieved. He had been distancing himself from her, for reasons even unbeknownst to him. Luxina, on the other hand, was as pissed as the high heavens. She jumped up furiously and raised her arm to slap the ninja, but was stopped short before the blow even landed. 

 The shinobi twisted her head to smile at Luxina. "Let's have a match," she said finally. "Winner gets to stay here, with this group, and loser has to leave and never return to them again. We'll even go to the Coliseum to make it official. Whaddaya say?"  Luxina's eyes narrowed considerably. She was obviously debating the pros and cons of Yuffie's proposition. 

 "I accept your challenge, little girl. But you better start to pack because I am going to kick you around the stadium." 

 Yuffie just smiled like she always did, and released the woman's lithe wrist. "Let's go now then." Everyone started at the youth, but the vicious glare Luxina gave everyone obviously stated she wanted to do the same. They all left to their rooms, to pack up. 

~*~*~*~

 "SORAAAAA!!!!!!" Donald yelled loudly. The brunette just groaned and turned himself to face the wall, throwing a large fluffy pillow at the bellowing duck. The pillow caught the creature right in the mouth, much to his dismay. The magician yanked the headrest out of his bill, making a variety of curses as he went. Sora sighed silently. Donald was always dangerous when he was angry. Which was sixty percent of the time. The teen knew what was coming next. It always happened when he refused to wake. Almost as if on cue, a large thunderbolt slammed the bed, practically firing Sora through the roof. "Damn!" he yelled in annoyance, as he smashed onto the ground with a thunk. The duck stepped over him, placing his hands on his hips. 

 "That's what you get," he stated. Sora didn't believe so, but accepted it anyways. 

 "Where are we going?" the brunette asked. Donald stared at the Keyblade Master for a second, flashbacks of everything the three of them had gone through together zooming through his mind.  

 "We're heading for the Coliseum," he muttered. Sora gave him a bewildered look. "To train. I've learned that you never look as excited when you are slashing through a bunch of opponents." Sora had to smile at that. He didn't usually like to hurt them, just liked the challenge the fight gave him. He nodded, for he was already tired. Tired after all that had happened. 

 Flashback

 _The trio ran after the planet-named dog, Sora naturally pulling ahead of the other two. His adrenaline had been long gone. The only thing keeping him going was the fact that the location of King Mickey and Riku might be in that letter that was clasped between the dog's jaws. He put on a burst of energy, supposedly his last, and pounced onto the happy-go-lucky dog. He let out a playful cry as Sora fought to tug the letter from the animal. Donald and Goofy soon caught up and helped to retrieve the note. They quickly opened it, reading it out loud. _

_ Dear Donald, Goofy, and Sora,_

_ Good news and bad news. The good news is, I am safely back into the castle. The bad news is, the world barriers haven't returned. I suspect it is someone's doing, whom is unidentified at the moment. Please return to the palace so I can explain the rest. Just follow Pluto. Good luck!_

_                                                                                                              King Mickey (Kings seal here)_

_ The three heroes exchanged glances before bounding after the dog. The dog gave a bark and sped off, followed by Sora, the duck and the dog. All of them having renewed vigor after reading the note, it wasn't long before they reached the end of the trail. Sadly, that was all it was. The end of the trail. Nothing more. The three let out a tedious sigh and slumped to the ground. Sora was tracing useless circles on the ground, when he noticed something. There was a white trinity mark, partly covered by Goofy's bum. _

_ "Donald! Goofy! Look there's a trinity mark under us!" he exclaimed. The other two jumped up to stare at it._

_ "Hyuck! Golly, Sora, you're right!" Goofy laughed out. Donald just nodded, and the three of them triggered it with their weapons. A unnaturally large chest dropped from out of nowhere, holding the king's seal on the top. In the middle was a shining keyhole. The three of them stood back, as Sora pointed his Ultima Weapon at the chest. A light shot out of the tip, and the top burst off with a loud pop. In the chests place, lay a huge golden key. _

_ "What's that?" Sora asked. Donald and Goofy were staring at it, wide-eyed. _

_ "It's the king's secret key that he uses to unlock the palace gates," Donald quacked excitedly. "That means that it's somewhere around here!!!"_

_ Pluto barked impatiently, tugging on Sora's sleeve. Sora followed the dog, over to a place where the trees were inevitably thick. Sora forced himself though the trunks, and almost fell over. In front of him stood the king's castle, blue flags waving gallantly. He was almost positive it wasn't there before. He rushed toward it, shoving the key into the gates keyhole. It opened with a click, and the doors swung open. Someone was here. Someone he knew. He could feel it. He ran up the huge steps, with Donald quacking angrily behind him, and Goofy just 'hyucking' away. He spun on his heel frantically, grabbing Donald. _

_ "Where to?" he demanded, a little too violently. He was seriously desperate. Donald just slapped him though, and took the lead. Sora calmed down after that._

_ They followed a maze of winding corridors and halls. Their path twisted constantly, making the teen wonder if the architect was half blind. Finally, after about ten minutes of wandering, they came to a pair of huge blue and silver doors. It had a magnificent portrait of King Mickey made of gold in the center. Donald opened the doors with a whoosh, padding inside. Goofy followed, and Sora stumbled in last, shutting the heavy doors behind him. He could hear their conversations perfectly. _

_ The KeyBlade master walked toward the three animals, bowing formally to he King. The mouse abruptly waved it off._

_ "You have no need to do that," the kind stated. "I hate formality. And you can just call me Mickey."  Sora nodded, and was about to ask what the barriers were all about when Mickey cut him off._

_ "There's someone you might want to meet here. They're in my quarters, to the right.'"  He motioned toward a set of smaller, silver doors. Sora nodded again, feeling numb. He walked into the quarters and closed the doors again behind him, yet again. The room was empty._

_ "Hello?" Sora called out. He felt his heart sink when nobody answered. Maybe Mickey was losing his mind. Sora sat himself on the edge of the bed, feeling miserable. _

_ "Looking for me?"  _

_ Sora jumped up toward the way too familiar voice. Standing in front of him, with his arms crossed over his chest, was Riku. Riku walked over to the brunette and gave him a friendly shove on the shoulder, making Sora stumble slightly from shock. Riku caught his arm before he actually fell, watching Sora carefully._

_ "Are you ok?" he questioned him. "Looks like you just saw a ghost." _

_ Sora looked up at the older boy with shining eyes. "What?" the silver haired boy asked. "Don't tell me you are gonna start bawling." That got Sora going. _

_ "I'm not a baby, Riku," Sora stated. "I was just thinking that since I found you, there is a chance we could get back to our island." Riku nodded slowly._

_ "More like I found YOU," he said with a laugh. Sora pouted, but was happy inside that things had a chance to be back to normal again. "Did Mickey tell you about why the barriers are still down?" _

_ "Yeah. I read it in the letter," Sora responded. "I guess our journey isn't over yet."_

_ Riku thought about his friend's words for a moment. "I'm coming with," he said finally. Sora gave him his trademark goofy smile and nodded. "I already have a sword, courtesy of Mickey." _

_ The two youths gave each other a high five, raring to once again be together, just like old times._

_End Flashback_

 Sora trudged over to Riku's bunk, trying to shake him awake. They had landed.

~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie ran out of the Coliseum, to see who had arrived. There were already people gathering to watch the battles. When they had gotten there, they had realized that there was another tournament going on. They would just have to battle everyone to get to each other. 

 Yuffie let out an excited scream when she saw the people she most expected to see. She ran over to Sora, who had widened eyes, and swept him up in a hug, unintentionally crushing him against her breasts. She let him go, the poor teen blushing furiously. Riku was laughing. Yuffie didn't really know who Riku was, but was too happy to care. She grabbed him and hugged him hard too, his height saving him the embarrassment of being against her chest. He hugged back awkwardly, having heard of her from Sora. After giving the same bear hugs to Donald and Goofy, she stepped back and beamed at them. 

 "So YuffYuff, what's got you so happy?" Sora questioned. Yuffie just winked at him.

"You'll see Sora, you'll see."

 A/N: If you haven't noticed, the final mix didn't happen. It would've made the story too frustrating and complicated. Besides, this story is supposed to be focused on Yuffie and Squall.           __


	3. Yuffie's and Luxina's battle Part 1

 Finding Your Heart

 Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. They all belong to their respective owners.  

 Chapter 3 

 Yuffie's and Luxina's Story

"Why aren't you going to enter the tournament?" Riku asked Sora as they stumbled past the people in the arena. They could see Aerith waving enthusiastically in the distance, and were trying to get to her. 

 "I'm not crazy enough to get in the way of Yuffie. She's got some fire lit under her, and she'll plow through anyone blocking her from her goal. Whatever that is," the keyblade master muttered. Riku snorted, because he knew that Sora could beat Yuffie easily if he tried. He himself didn't understand why she was so determined, but he hardly knew her so he brushed it off. 

 The two teens, the dog, and the duck found their way up the stadium and took a seat next to Cid, Aerith and Cloud. Aerith managed to calm down, but she still looked flustered. Sora wondered if she was going to hyperventilate if she kept going on like that. Cid seemed to notice this too, but just muttered a few curses under his breath and shut up. If Aerith fainted from lack of air, then that would be Cloud's problem. 

 Riku leaned himself against the back of the seats behind him, tucking his arms behind his head. Sora frowned. How can he always look so cool all the time? It was only natural for the keyblade master to get jealous of his friend. "Hey Riku? Do you miss Kairi?" Riku snorted and pulled himself back into a sitting position.

 "Of course I do. I miss everyone. I miss Destiny Islands." That was a plausible enough answer so Sora stayed silent for a while. That was until Aerith started screaming.

 "THE MATCH IS GOING TO START!!!! OVER HERE SQUALL!!!"

 Sora and Riku instinctively scooted away from the ranting flower girl. Squall, who had obviously heard her, was staring at her from the bottom of the Coliseum. Cloud looked somewhat embarrassed and Cid had done something similar to an anime fall, cursing his head off and spontaneously throwing his head back. Donald and Goofy were sweatdropping.

 "Are they always all this...insane?" Riku asked. Sora just shook his head miserably. 

 "No, this is a first." Everyone turned their heads as Squall came and sat behind Cid and Cloud, avoiding Aerith. They couldn't exactly blame him for trying not to act like he didn't know her. 

 Squall had a fixed, uncertain look on his face. At first glance anyways. If you looked closer you could notice the mild face of amusement buried under his sullen facade. He had his shoulders perfectly relaxed, as if he was enjoying himself. Riku stared briefly at the man. The only time he had seen him was when he had first encountered Sora in Traverse Town, but he didn't really notice him then because he was too busy raging over Sora and Maleficent's words. Riku watched as the twenty five year old closed his eyes and let out a deep chuckle.

 "Thought I saw you somewhere," Squall murmured. Riku peered at him, until realizing the person he was talking to was him. He continued. "I saw you with that witch while Sora was talking with Cid." Riku blinked and stayed silent. So someone had seen him. He internally flinched at the imply of his old 'occupation.'

 "Oh," he muttered. He said no more. What was he supposed to say? He fumbled to change the subject. "Where's that girl?"

 "Yuffie," Squall corrected. He nodded toward the battleground. "She should be out there soon."

~*~*~*~

 Yuffie ground her teeth together, barely able to hold in her glee. She wanted to scream. She was finally going to show that rancid woman who was better than who. She was too jumpy to practice her shurikens. Phil glanced at her. He had warned her to calm down or she would wet herself right when she walked out.

 She was waiting in the coliseum lobby with cedar. He kept muttering about "cat-fights" and "worthless brawls" as he shuffled around the lobby, doing nothing in particular, besides complaining. Yuffie had almost always had a problem with not staring at him. She didn't know why, but she did. From the first time that she had entered the Pegasus Cup with Squall up until know, she was still amazed by the creature. She had pondered asking him some questions, like why he was so fat, being the trainer of the greatest heroes ever and all. Seriously, you would think he would have put on some muscle himself. But she decided against any inquiring. He was a temperamental animal, and she wasn't the best person to deal with those type of things.

 Yuffie determinedly averted her attention away from the talking goat, trying to focus on the upcoming event. She silently ruminated on what she was going to do, how to beat that palpating woman. She was definitely swanky, and on the borders of being profligate. But she was strong. If she wasn't she wouldn't have accepted Yuffie's offer in the first place. Either that or she was recklessly stupid. (A/N: Oh God I'm sorry if this really sucks, but my sister is playing her stupid Rocket Adventures on the computer and she has it on high volume and it's driving me to the epitome of insanity.) She didn't even know what weapons she was using. Always had she relied on her shruikens to pull her through, but lately they had slowly begun to be less effective and more of ancient artifacts that were just painful reminders of her past. But what else did she have? Her heart and soul had been put into mastering the shinobi's most cunning weapons. She couldn't just give up on them now, not after everything she had put up with just to succeed with them. Besides, her shruikens were more than just her weapons. They contained the promise she had made to her dead father, and held a great significance of exactly what he had fought for before passing over into the afterlife. 

 Oh god, her father. Now wasn't the time. Not when she had so much more to concentrate on. But it couldn't be helped. Her parents and their sacrifice was something that she could and would never forget. They were apart of her, like everyone else's parents, no matter how much she denied it. Her father meant the world to her, even though he wasn't even existing in person anymore. But he was there watching her, she could feel it. _'Did everyone feel that way?'_ She thought. _'Oh how would I know.'  _

 "You're on kid," he bellowed, pushing her through the hallway that let to the coliseum grounds. "An' good luck to ya," was all he said before disappearing around the corner. She shrugged. So he wasn't going to watch her. It wasn't like she wanted the creature to watch her anyways. She could practically hear him yelling obscenities, screaming about the rookie moves they were using. 

 She briefly wondered where Hercules was. He was usually standing in front of the gates, training out front. But he was nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, he was usually going off somewhere. Not that she could blame him. He probably hated to train every waking minute, and needed some fresh air away from the coliseum and his coach. It somewhat reminded her of herself, expect that, fortunately, she didn't have a coach. Although that would be helpful…

 She walked into the ring, trying not to grin like an idiot. She had a tendency to do that when she was excited. Cid told her it was extremely disturbing when she did because she looked like a psycho maniac, seeing as her grin spread practically over her face. Then, being the hypocrite he was, told her to stop trying to control it because it made her look like a deranged old woman trying to stretch back her wrinkles. What a wonderful person he was. Great at depicting the most awful things to make them sound incredibly senseless and hilarious.

 The crowd was bigger than she expected. She held in the temptation to throw her hands over her exposed ears as the congregation roared like a bunch psychotic monkeys. Yuffie silently sighed. At least they were cheering, not jeering. She stepped into the ring, trying her best to look composed and dignified. That didn't matter though, because then the woman of her loathing flowed into the ring, and the crowd also cheered. Yuffie figured that they weren't taking sides. They were just damn excited that they were there to see two females battling. 

 Yuffie watched with slight anger, but it was mostly overridden with joy. And a little amusement. Luxina had on some type of tight black dress on, which looked impossible to move in. She carried a huge naginata (long staff with spiked spear on the end, similar to a halberd.) and two swords at her sides. She looked like a walking artillery room. An evil artillery room. 

 Her coal black eyes glimmered maliciously as she calmly swung her naginata around like a bat. Wasn't there going to be any announcers for the event? She lost thought as Luxina smirked at her, hung her naginata behind her back, and unsheathed her two swords. She then preceded to practice with them, slashing them around, smiling satisfactorily as they hissed and whistled though the air. 

 God, that woman was hellacious. Here she was, swinging around like crazy, leaving Yuffie to toil away and watch. Her psychosomatic anger twisted and warped, leaving the ninja in a slight state of sadistic pleasure to beat down the woman. Yes, she would fall, or at least realize the errors of her words. 

 She wasn't a child. If anything, she had been forced to grow up to quickly. She had no one to baby her on those days when she felt as if her trembling facade was collapsing in on her. Aerith, Cloud and Squall were no parents. They had barely even begun to grow up themselves. Not knowing how to react to the responsibility of taking care of a child, they treated her like a peer. They made her develop her characteristics too quickly, wanting to relieve to burden of her. It was obvious that they had no answer when she begged to see her parents again, or what had happened to their planet. Her insistent questions of her past drove them to quiet her up, to cover up their own pain. But they never realized that they caused her so much more. 

 She never told them her secrets. She never told them of how she cried in her room at three o' clock in the morning, or how she started to get weak in the knees when she saw children having an outing with their parents. What would they think? They would come to the conclusion that she was still a child, that she still had no control over her emotions. Even Aerith, who was as gentle as a lamb, wasn't able to take the pressure of watching a kid back then. She had been only about twelve. So she followed the other three. 

 Dust billowed up from the tiled ground as Luxina rapidly moved across the floor. Yuffie watched with monotony, not wanting to give in to her silent threats. But it was getting annoying. Lucky, before the shinobi could pounce on the unworthy woman, Phil's voice boomed over the ring.  

 "FIGHTERSSSS READYYY!" _'No, I'm not,' She_ thought with annoyance. "SEEETTTT!!!" Phil's annoying voice booming though the megaphone was making her ears ring unpleasantly. "GOOOOOO!!!!" Phil practically floated in the air with the force of his yell. It momentarily froze Yuffie, but, unfortunately, it was enough to get Luxina moving.

 She had resheathed her swords with blinding speed, and was charging at Yuffie, naginata held high over her head. Snapping to her senses, she nimbly dodged it, but barely. The weapon came smashing right down where she had stood, and was already coming at her again. She knew she couldn't keep dodging forever, but what was she supposed to do? She was definitely outnumbered in weapons, and, despite her inner arguments, might be more experienced then herself. This woman wasn't playing around. She had thought it would be easy to defeat her, but she obviously thought wrong. She had been a fool, judging on appearances.

 She had stopped charging and was swinging the naginata around her body, creating some kind of shield. _'Up, down, left, right, back, urgh!' _ The ninja tried in vain to memorize the pattern that she swung her weapon. But her slashes were erratic, making it impossible to remember anything.

  Yuffie got out of range of Luxina's weapon and threw her shruikens over and over again at her. Right when they came bounding back, out they went again. They had to break through sometime. Barely noticeable, but still there, the crowd screamed and yelled. She could barely make out Aerith, Sora, and Goofy over the commotion. 

 "We aren't losing concentration now, are we?" Luxina calmly said. She turned her head toward the younger girl, looking as if she owned the world. "You think you can beat me with simple throwing stars? You'll have to try a lot harder than that."  

  "I'm just getting warmed up," Yuffie snapped. Keeping her calm, ignoring the crowd, trying to break though Luxina's defense, it was all starting to aggravate her. Luxina had struck a nerve and she knew it. 

 "Come at me," she purred. "I dare you too."

 She did come at her. The fact that she would most likely get brutally slashed didn't enter her mind once as she brandished her shruikens and ran straight toward her. It only hit her when it actually happened. The blade cut up her midsection, leaving small slashes on her cheeks as it ran up her body. Her arm had a gash running along the bicep, and her left leg was nicked with cuts. But she didn't care. She had broken through that stupid woman's defense, and finally had the satisfaction of her ninja stars slashing up Luxina's calves, up her stomach, and all the way to her shoulders. Luxina screamed, blood seeping out of her wounds. They were small, but deep. But of course that wasn't the end. It was far from the end.

 Throwing her naginata to the ground and kicking it out of the ring, she unsheathed both her swords, flipping them angrily and holding them like daggers. She rushed past Yuffie, grazing the ninja's shoulder. Yuffie jumped off to the side, and made the mistake of casting Curaga. It worked, until Luxina ran up and stabbed both her arms. Yuffie yowled and kicked the woman in the gut, barely missing the two blades as they shattered one of the columns. 

 Grinding her teeth together, she clutched her arms in obvious pain. Any farther and they would've broken both her bones. What was she going to do? Her arms hurt too much to move them. But she had to try. No pain no game, right? Although this was more pain than the younger girl wanted. 

 Yuffie groaned. Why oh why did her opponent have to be a killing psychopath? Luxina's swords came flying at her, one landing between her legs and the other right next to the outside of her right foot. Yuffie started to run at her, throwing her stars expertly at the woman, although it shot bolts of pain up her arm as she did so. One slashed Luxina's hand as she raised to block it, the other whistled past her ear. Luxina ignored them for the most part. She ripped her swords from the ground, and pivoted on her back foot, getting into a low stance. Her swords positioned high over her head. A cat stance. _'Cat stance,'_ Yuffie thought. _'I remember that from somewhere.'_

_ "Yuffie, stop it!"  A sixteen-year-old Squall yelled at a seven year old Yuffie. The young girl ignored him, knowing he would keep trying to distract her, regardless of if she stopped or not. Letting out a sigh and trudging over to her, Squall picked up the young girl, who started to scream and kick violently. _

_ "Lemme go LEMME GO! Big meanie!" Yuffie yelled loudly. She thrashed relentlessly against the frustrated teen. With a growl the seven year old sank her teeth into Squall's arm, making him utter a loud curse. Yuffie removed her fangs from his arm and stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't curse," she snapped. "Or I'm telling." But the sixteen year old just glared at her. Yuffie scrunched up her nose and let herself be dragged away from the base of the waterfall, where she had been trying to jump the ledges. She was about to jump onto the second ledge, since getting onto the first was a synch, but Squall had to stop her. _

_ "Why are you trying so hard anyways?" Squall grumbled as he carried her back to her house. Her parents would probably have something to say about what she had been doing. "You're too small to do any of these stuff. Besides, it's dangerous for a toddler to be running around like that."_

_ "I'm not a toddler!" Yuffie said indignantly. "I'm gonna be the greatest female ninja ever, and you can't stop me!" _

_ "Why are you trying so hard?" he repeated. _

_ "I just am," she said. She then preceded to fiddle with her hair, oblivious to Squall penetrating stare. That's what he got for trying to communicate with a six year old. _

_ "If you're gonna be the greatest female ninja ever, who's the male?" he asked. He wasn't testing her intellect, just wanted to see if she knew how to answer. _

_ "My daddy," Yuffie said proudly. Squall smirked. Of course. Everyone knew that Yuffie's father was the best ninja in Hollow Bastion. He even had a school running where he taught the youth the ways of becoming a shinobi. His wife helped him with the dojo, of course. _

_ Squall opened the side door to the house, knowing that they wouldn't mind. Yuffie's father and mother were sitting near a low Japanese table, sipping some tea. They were talking about something that Squall didn't quite understand. They both had an unfamiliar mask of nervousness on. Squall frowned but gently knocked on the doorframe, catching their attention. Yuffie's mother's eyes went wide when she saw her daughter in Squall's arms, with one of his arms bleeding with teeth marks. _

_ "Yuffie," she scolded and scurried over to her daughter. Yuffie hung her head, and reached out to her mother, who picked her up. "What was she doing this time?" This question being directed toward Squall. _

_ "She was out by the Waterfalls," Squall informed her, rubbing his bruised arm. "Trying to jump the iced ledges."  Yuffie made a small whining sound, but her mom just whacked her bum. _

_"I told you not to go out there!" Yuffie's mom snapped. Yuffie muttered a small 'I know' before her mom interrupted her to continue. "Go to your room young lady, and then you could come down and train with your father, not by yourself!" Yuffie nodded and dropped to the floor. She shuffled herself upstairs a little louder than necessary before shutting the door. _

_ Squall looked at Yuffie's mom's head, who was examining his cut. "She has some canines, doesn't she," she murmured. Squall just nodded. He glanced at the clock hanging against the wall._

_ "I really have to be going," he said, slightly embarrassed. Mrs. Kisaragi just smiled and quickly got some bandages. "That's ok," he said quickly. It's just a small cut." And he gently removed his arm from her grip. She let out a sigh and looked at him. _

_ "Ok ok," she said tiredly. Squall smiled appreciatively and turned to walk out the door when Mr. Kisaragi's voice rang out._

_ "Squall."_

_ "Yes Mr. Kisaragi?" the teen asked, turning around. Yuffie's father cleared his throat and looked away momentarily, before turning back to look at Squall. _

_ "If anything happens, take Yuffie and protect her," Mr. Kisaragi said with all seriousness. Squall stared at him, not really knowing what he meant. But he was serious._

_"Yes, Mr. Kisaragi," he said again, before quietly walking out the door. Yuffie's parents exchanged glances. Squall had left to soon to notice, but they were both crying._

_~*~*~_

_ "Do you know what he meant?" a twelve year old Cloud asked Squall._

_ "No," Squall grumbled. "But he sounded like he really meant it."_

_ "You should go ask Cid," Cloud said thoughtfully. Cid was a family friend to all of them, and they usually went to him for advice. Squall just shook his head though. _

_"No, I think I can figure this out by myself," he grunted as he forced the Gunblade up. He had only received it last year as a present, and it was unnaturally heavy and hard to control. Not only that, he had set off the gun only about a million times trying to wield it. Cloud watched him bemusedly. He had received a weapon as well, much to Squall's disgruntlement. He also was able to wield it, although it must have weighed about sixty pounds more than the Gunblade._

_"What's that?" Aerith asked, pointing to the sky. The light blue hue had gone, the fluffy white clouds replaced by looming purple and black ones. The wind had an unfamiliar scent to it, and the whole of Hollow Bastion started to quiver as if it was sitting on a volcano about to blow. Squall's and Cloud's eyes narrowed considerably, and Aerith shivered. It was getting colder, darker. Shadows were making their way across the planet, blocking out any futile hope for light._

_"Aerith!" a figure cried, running out of it's hiding place among the bushes. It was a very shaken up Yuffie. She clung to the older girl, whimpering loudly. Aerith tried to soothe her, but Yuffie ended up crying anyways._

_ "They're.." she gasped between sobs. Her nose was running ,and her hair was matted against her face. "They're gonna fight. They said to come with you, and that they.....t-they l-love meeee......" Yuffie let out a scream as she sobs wracked her body. Aerith hold her small body, her eyes filled with concern and worry._

_"She's talking about her parents!" Squall yelled over the howling wind. Aerith let out a scream as a sign broke loose and smashed inches from her feet. Cloud gave a yell and grabbed Aerith, hugging her close. Yuffie seemed more hysterical than ever. Squall pried her carefully from the older girls arms, pressing her flush against his chest. She buried her head against his torso, trying to make everything disappear. _

_ Aerith screamed again. Squall turned around and stared. There were things popping out from the ground. They brought out dark oozing black puddles with them, and they moved irregularly. They all had shining yellow eyes, and long curved nails. More came, some appearing into the sky, others warping right in front of them on the ground. _

_ All of the kids seemed to think the same thing. What would happen to them? What was happening? How about their family? And their homes? Their world? _

_ "GET IN THE SHIP NOW!!" They all turned to see Cid running towards them. Behind him was a friend of theirs, Luxina. She looked flustered and angry as dried tears showed on her face. "NOW!" he yelled when they didn't respond. Luxina grabbed Aerith's hand, and tried to drag her with her. Aerith obeyed, and ran with her. But Cloud and Squall refused to move. Cid noticed this and ran back, forcibly gabbing their collars and yanking them with him. But it was too late. The creatures surrounded them before they could move another step. Without any words, Squall handed the silent Yuffie to Aerith. She tried to pull him back, but Squall just pried her tiny hands off of him. He pulled out the Gunblade, and stood next to Cloud, who had his broadsword positioned at his side._

_ The creatures danced around, then lunged at them. Squall let out a cry and swung the Gunblade at one of them, severing it's arm. It disappeared in a cloud of magic and darkness. Cloud was doing the same, slashing at the creatures left and right. Luxina wouldn't have it though. She ran to stand next to them, getting into a cat stance. Yuffie, Cid, and Aerith watched the three in horror. _

_ "You took away my mother!" Luxina screamed in agony. "AND I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT!!"  She jumped on top of the nearest ones, punching it in the face. It convulsed, lifted its arm, and raked its claws down her stomach. Luxina just cursed and continued her assault on the creature._

_"They just keep coming," Aerith said miserably. Yuffie was clutching at her leg, watching without a sound. "It's hopeless."_

_"We have to leave!" Cid roared over the sounds of the battle. It seemed no one heard it though, because no one acknowledged him. _

_ Then they heard it. It came as an ear-piercing cry, grazing everyone's ears. Even the creatures stopped at the sound. Squall decapitated the creature, and fell to his knees, holding his face in his hands._

 "SQUALL!!" everyone seemed to call. He managed to stumble up, and Cloud quickly rushed over to block him from any further attacks. Luxina managed to divert herself from the creature she was beating, and helped him to walk over the ship. Cid took Squall, throwing the boy over his shoulders. And together, they all ran for Cid's gummi ship. 

_~*~*~*~_

 "You," Yuffie whispered. "I remember you. Y-you lost your mother to the heartless nine years ago."

 And Luxina stopped. She slid out of her stance, and stared at Yuffie. Suddenly a look of recognition hit the older woman, and her swords clanged to the floor. She slowly stumbled toward Yuffie. What was she doing? Was she acting? Yuffie wasn't sure. Taking advantage of Yuffie's hit of her past seemed like something Luxina would do.  

 Yuffie flinched slightly when she felt Luxina's hand on her cheek. She was looking at her carefully. Yuffie glanced over at her friends. Slowly Luxina followed her gaze, and stared at them all. Then she let out a laugh. It took Yuffie by surprise, and she internally jumped. Everyone was staring at them. Luxina started to laugh harder, her hand removed from Yuffie's face to clutch at her sides.

 Was she going insane? Yuffie hoped not. It was bad enough being around a bunch of loons, but to fight one was the epiphany of craziness. Why was she laughing anyways? It didn't seem like something the morose woman did. Yuffie watched Luxina double over with complete confusion. Was she hyperventilating? She probably would be if she didn't stop laughing like that. It wasn't normal for a person to do that. No one laughed that hard unless they were either really ill or they were harboring cases of extreme mental anxiety. Or so she thought. She just read it from a book, but watching Cid do it when he was drunk sometimes, it seemed true enough.

 "I......I..." she had to pause to let out another bale of laughter. "How could I forget about all of you? I was so caught up about seeing Squall, I forgot all of you," she whispered quietly. Then she looked at Yuffie. Really looked at her. And she smiled. "You were the little girl," she said. "Now I understand..." _'Does she realize it just now?'_  Yuffie thought. Although she was being a hypocrite saying that. She hadn't recognized her until she had poised into her infamous cat stance, which she had frequently used to fight in back in Hollow Bastion. The younger girl stared at the older woman, wondering what in the hell she was thinking about. Probably random thoughts of why she was doing this. Or it could be something totally different, since her face was as hard to read as a brick wall. Kind of like Squall.

 Yuffie glanced over at the vapid man, wondering what he was thinking at the time too. Probably something along the lines of 'Thank God I didn't marry that woman, she's a complete maniac!' Ok, maybe not that, since that was out of character for the monotonous GunBlade wielder.

 Squall was watching them with masked concentration, leaning forward and propping his arms on his knees. What was wrong with that woman? Did she just realize that they were all from her past, as she, theirs? It surprised the brunette to some level that she had gotten so spoiled and rotten. But not by much. She had always had that air of arrogance, but now it seemed more prominent than ever. 

 _'What is Yuffie doing?'_ he thought. Luxina was totally unguarded, and open for attack. And Yuffie just stood there, watching her crack up. Was she in a shock? Or was it that she wasn't the kind of person to take advantage of another like that? Both seemed very true. But what was she cracking up _about_? There was nothing that resembled anything close to funny, save for the few bystanders that took a chance to pick their nose, thinking that no one was watching them. Albeit, it was hard to miss them since they practically shoved their digits right up their nostrils. 

 Jesus Christ, what was the matter with him? Lately his concentration had begun to wither away, leaving him with spontaneous thoughts and reminisces. He silently battled with himself that it was because of Luxina. She was yet another figure of his dark past, something he thought about as less as possible. It was his fault all of it had happened. If he hadn't been so weak as to when the Heartless had slashed him, he might've been able to protect everyone else. But he wasn't. He crumbled, leaving everyone else defenseless, to fend for themselves. And Yuffie, oh geez, Yuffie. The horrified look on her face when they slowly flew away from their home nine years ago, made his insides twist and rip. She had looked up to him as a brother, the paragon in her life, and he had failed her. The worst thing for a child is to see their most loved idol collapse in pain, unable to protect themselves. 

  He knew that she cried alone in her room at night. Of course he never told her, letting her think that that was her little secret. But it wasn't. No, he heard her far past midnight, her shaky sobs gracing his ears like gunshots. Sleeping had become useless to him, he had become obsessed with the fact that Yuffie was in pain. And there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't comfort her, because then that would mean telling her that he heard her, making her distance herself from him. She would constantly do that, moving away whenever he turned his back. Then he would turn around again and she seemed even more faded than before. He couldn't take back all the things he had said to her, but sometimes he thought she partially deserved it. Yes, it was cruel, but so was life. He had told himself may times over that he was just preparing her for the harshness of the world, but it just didn't soothe the moroseness of his idyllic words. 

 Squall didn't want either woman to be badly damaged in the fight. He wasn't a sadist. Yes, on some level they were both a source of endless irritation, but that didn't mean he wanted them limping around with crutches and a severe degree of a concussion either. Did they not realize how much they were alike? Their rash actions were not only similar but extremely amusing to watch. 

 He knew why Luxina had been so cold and distant. It was obvious, to him anyways. She had lost her mother to the Heartless for crying out loud, and had no one to comfort her in the process. Not only that, she was brutally separated from the group, although that was partly her doing. And her violence was explainable too. She had always had obtuse feelings for Squall, and seeing Yuffie, a perfectly young and innocent child, scared her. Luxina had been so close to everything she had  ever wanted, and Yuffie, threatened that. So she acted evasively and became so morose, developing a quick and palpitating temper against the shinobi. But now, she had realized that Yuffie was not trying to make her miserable. Albeit, she was still determined to win the match. 

 Squall wasn't really sure what had happened to her on that fateful night nine years ago. She had been crying, ranting about her dead mother. She was only about thirteen at the time, and seeing your own parent die from some creatures that you could've stopped if you were stronger, hurt a lot. He had no idea how her mother died, if it was protecting her daughter or just out of pure accident and surprise. Whatever it was, Luxina still carried that rage in her heart, bearing it down on others to relieve her the stress of her past. Did she see others die too? She might as well have, judging on her attitude. 

 Squall looked at the girls carefully. It looked as if Luxina had finally managed to compose herself.  

  Yuffie watched Luxina as she straightened her back, pushing the stray bangs out of her face. She bent over and picked up her two swords once again. "You are a part of me and my past, I cannot deny that," she said slowly. "But that does not change this match," she said sternly. Yuffie nodded. "Who ever falls first loses."

 "What are the conditions?" Yuffie asked. She was still wary of this woman, despite their sharing of the tragic past. She couldn't be sure that she would keep her word. Luxina paused at this, tapping her foot against the ground and tilting her head up. Then she smiled. Again. It was starting to scare the young ninja.

 "If I win, I get to have Squall," she stopped and leveled her eyes with Yuffie's. "And if you win..."

 "If I win," Yuffie continued for her. "You will not interfere with my life and you will do whatever Squall wishes out of your marriage," she finished boldly. Luxina stared at her in shock. Yuffie knew her request was a bit on the wild side, given that she could've wished to do something a lot worse, like making Luxina jump off a cliff, or of course, to get Squall all to herself. But she had realized something. It was unbelievable in her mind at how long it had taken to figure it out. But she didn't want Squall. Maybe, when she was more sure about his feelings and her own, she would risk taking a step forward to admit her emotions. But she wasn't ready yet. It took a person she might as well hated to death, and who would have willingly hated her in turn, to make her notice it. Squall was a hard person to get to, and she wasn't sure she was ready to take that journey yet. 

 She had no way of knowing if he felt the same way. She had always felt an ethereal sense of calm around him, but that didn't mean she was in love with him. It simply meant she felt comfortable and open around his presence. 

 This woman wasn't going to win. She had to realize that by now. And if she didn't, than Yuffie would just have to teach her. No, Luxina wasn't as much a bitch as she had first thought out.

 She gave a childish smirk, and pulled out the rapier she had bought with Cloud. "Let's go."

 A/N: This chapter was shorter than the others. I wanted to split the battle into two different chapters, because it elevates the suspense. Or at least it's supposed to. I am not really sure of what to do with Luxina yet, and I'm not sure if she will appear later in the chapters as friend or foe. 

 Also, there are reasons why I made their pasts the way I did. I made a town around Hollow Bastion, because it isn't realistic for them to be living in the castle by themselves when there is a whole population to consider. As for Yuffie's parents, there is nothing really wrong with my depiction of them. If you pay attention to when the FF characters are speaking in Kingdom Hearts, they clearly state that they all grew up together in Hollow Bastion, therefore making the Final Fantasy timelines impossible and nonexistent. I may use some Final Fantasy names in later chapters, but it doesn't mean that the characters using them will be the same.

 Oh and by the way......please review.


	4. Yuffie's and Luxina's battle Part 2 and ...

Finding Your Heart 

 Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. It all belongs to SquareSoft and Disney.

Chapter Four

 Yuffie's and Luxina's Battle Part 2 and the Kidnapping

 A/N: Ok, this is the first time I've put an author's note in the beginning of the story, but I find it necessary. First of all, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed:

Lilkimmee

Dark Kairi

Jade Stellar

Bhryn Astairre

GBF

Vulpes Lapis

Inu_yashas_ears330

KuRai MusO-kA

Kayoko

Reese

Ice-angel

 THANK YOU ALL!!!!!

Also, in the last chapter, I said it was shorter than the others. But after looking it over, I realized it was the _longest. _@_@. Yes, I have a very dysfunctional brain. And about Luxina, she is just _one_ of the many OC's I will introduce during the duration of the story. This fic is actually very long, and Luxina is just a "sidetrack". -_-*

  Ok, I would also like to say that I am sorry if my updates start to slow down. I have had dances, ceremonies, and the finals for almost the rest of this month until my school ends and it's really taking up my time. So sorry!! Oh, this may sound weird, but can anyone tell me what the color of Yuffie's hair and eyes are? I have read so many stories and seen so many pics of them, but they all seem to be different colors and I have no idea what it really is. Someone please tell me! I think I rambled on enough, so on with the story. Oh and, please read my best friend's, KuRai-MusO-kA's story if you like SoKairi. It's really good! Seeing as I beta-ed it…@_@ I am so self-indulgent.

'Whoever falls first loses.' Luxina's words reminded her silently as she pivoted on her back foot, holding the rapier before her. It felt awkward in the ninja's hands, seeing as she was used to small, spiked stars instead of long, smooth blades. The bright side was that it was light. That was the way rapiers were designed. Light, slender swords used mainly for thrusting. _'Although there is nothing wrong with using them to parry' Yuffie_ thought as she did just that. It made a metallic clang, and bounced back Luxina's twin swords with a forceful shove. 

 The crowd had once again gotten rowdy, their agitation for Yuffie's and Luxina's little prelude replaced by the excitement of battle. The battle was different now, and everyone knew it. It did not harbor the spite and anger it had before, but plain determination and maybe the hints of enjoyment. Their strokes were easy and well timed, not raged and sloppy. Although the mood had changed, they couldn't be certain that blood would fall or not.

 "You're a natural at this, you know," Luxina mused as she dodged Yuffie's thrust and whacked the ninja's bum with the hilt of her sword. The younger girl gave a yelp and jumped out of the way of the woman's swing. 

 "I am?" she gasped as she ran to the other side of the ring, waiting for Luxina to charge at her. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she jumped right over Luxina, who had rushed at her as expected, and landed a safe distance from her at the edge of the ring yet again. "I've never used this sort of weapon before." Luxina didn't seem surprised at this, but didn't look anymore impressed. 

 "I figured as much," she said and threw one of her swords at Yuffie who blocked it instead of dodging it. If she dodged it, it would've flown out of the ring and got stuck somewhere, or even worse, badly injured someone. At this point, they would prefer that not to happen. "Ninja's have that sort of gift," she said, struggling to grab her sword without ending up getting hit by Yuffie. 

 Yuffie shook her head at the thought of who exactly had taught her such weaponry skills. She missed him. She really did. Her father had always been the main man in her life, and she still liked to think of it that way. Her past was tragic, yes, but it also had great memories in it too. Memories of all of them together. Yuffie of course, couldn't remember half of them, and could only picture them from Aerith's reminisces. Speaking of Aerith...

 She looked like she was going to have a hernia. She was jumping up and down and cheering wildly. Sora was too, Yuffie noticed. She glanced at Squall. He was looking straight at her, his dark brown eyes burning holes into her. Oh joys. The only think worse than fighting was fighting with a person, or in this case, persons, staring at you. It was pure paranoia. Although that was stupid, since she had about one hundred people watching her.

 "Hey, pay attention," Luxina snapped, rushing up to Yuffie and kicking her slightly in the gut. Yuffie stumbled, knocked out of her daze. She clumsily blocked Luxina's arc of swords, having been badly prepared for the blow. "You are gonna get knocked down with that amount of concentration that you have," she grunted. Yuffie silently beat herself. How could she have forgotten? If she had fallen down after that stumble, it would've been all over.

 Luxina swung again, and Yuffie met her head on. The three weapons clashed, jammed together. Usually, the person who was able to break away first got the advantage of the moment, but you couldn't be too sure with these two. If Luxina broke loose, Yuffie might get it because of her stealth. If Yuffie broke loose first, Luxina might gain the upper hand quicker because she had one more weapon than Yuffie. But neither happened. With a gust of wind, they both fired Firaga, and were both blasted apart. The crowd watched as both wavered as they hit the coliseum's ground. Both refused to give up so easily, and therefore neither fell. 

 Some of the crowd clapped, others roared. Sora watched excitedly. "Whom do you think'll win?" he asked to no one in particular.

  "The one with two swords," Riku said. Sora frowned. He wanted Yuffie to win, of course. But then you couldn't blame Riku because he didn't know her and he was just basing it on the looks of the battle. 

  "Yuffie!!" Aerith said enthusiastically. "Yuffie!!"

  "So we've heard," Squall muttered. When Aerith glared at him though, he quickly shut his mouth. He turned his attention back to the two girls. _'Women,' _his mind reprimanded him. _'They're women not girls.' _ He wondered what they were betting over now. Originally, the loser had to leave them and never show their face to the group again. But since the battle style had changed, maybe so had the deal.

 "Yuffie'll win," Cid grunted. He was chewing on some cornflower seeds. Sora noticed the bag he was holding and tried to grab some, but Cid just slapped him away. 

 "Where did you get those?" Sora asked as he tried to grapple for the seeds. Cid frowned and waved the bag of food above the teens head.

 "They were selling a bunch o' stuff at the front gates," the pilot said. Sora made a face. "You came late so they left."

 "I'll go with you," Riku offered. He was hungry too. Sora said a small 'ok' and both teens pushed their way through the stands of rowdy onlookers. 

_ 'I'm tired,_' Yuffie thought in frustration. She had to stop thinking erratic thoughts. It was messing with her concentration. But it wasn't much of a spontaneous thought, because it was true. She _was_ tired. She wished Luxina would just toss one of her swords aside. Having to watch out for two of them was driving her bonkers. And both her arms were still bleeding endlessly, so as too much that she could hardly feel the pain anymore. Her arms were slowly losing their feel and numbing themselves. If she didn't do something soon, so would lose her grip completely. 

 "Heal yourself."

 Yuffie looked up. "What?" she asked, sure that her ears weren't working right. 

 "Heal yourself," Luxina repeated. "There's no point in fighting someone who has nearly paralyzed arms. Besides," she said with a smirk. "You are dripping you hideous blood all over the floor. You think I want some on my dress?" 

 The ninja made a face. Of course, her kind action had a twist to it that somehow worked to her advantage. Besides, she had no way of knowing that Luxina wouldn't stab her someplace else while using Curaga, like before. Her words sounded truthful, but after all that she had pulled, how could she be sure? 

 Yuffie cast her an apprehensive look, watching her with guarded eyes. Luxina let out an exasperated sigh, mostly for the benefit of the crowd. 

 "Will you hurry up already," she said, boredom ringing in her tone. "I won't do anything. DO IT ALREADY!" 

 "Well excuse me, Ms. Patience-Is-My-Greatest-Virtue," Yuffie muttered under her breath, making sure the woman across from her didn't hear. The shinobi then yelled out 'Curaga' and a wave of green, sparkled mist encircled her, gently smoothing over the majority of her injuries. She let out a pleasant sigh as the pain in her arms receded, but only barely. 

 She glanced at the slashes on her arm. They had closed up halfway, and had, fortunately and finally, stopped bleeding. Yuffie internally grimaced at the sight of the metallic liquid that painted itself down both her tri and biceps. It looked like some kind of crimson tattoo, the way it had dribbled and criss-crossed down her arms. 

 Her eyes traveled down to her hands, the hands that held her weapon. How much had she gotten through with these simple human organs? Many people took their hands for granted, even now saying it sounded absurd. But thinking about, Yuffie realized she literally wouldn't be able to do anything without them. She wouldn't even be in this battle right now. Her mind traveled across time, thinking about everything her hands had touched. These same hands were the ones that were held by her parents, the ones that threw her shruikens, and the ones that caressed and felt her friends faces and tears nine years ago. They had gotten stronger, callused, but still had that softness of an innocent sixteen-year-old to them, buried deep down under the small, but powerful palms.

 Then Yuffie remembered the words that Merlin had once told her when she was about nine, only two years after coming to Traverse Town. She had been rummaging around his house, playing with every object she could possibly find. He had found her, picked her up and put her on his lap. Examining her dirty hands, he started to tell her of the people, the Heartless, and odd enough, hands. He said that like hands, humans were born smooth and flawless, light and delicate. But as the hands grow with the person, the hands get tanned and dark, get cuts and bruises. Some even loose parts of them, which by the way had disgusted the young ninja at the time. He said humans and hands shared the same relation. We become dark and bruised, rough and anything but innocent. We lose parts of ourselves, mostly our hearts and sense of justice. Albeit, Yuffie, at the time, didn't understand any of this, not really caring about it. Humans and hands? How could she understand that? It made no sense. 

 But now it did. The shinobi admitted that even she wasn't as innocent as she portrayed herself to be. She lied, she had stolen before, and in a sense, killing things, even Heartless, made you less than innocent. But no one was perfect. 

 "Ready now?" Luxina called out. Yuffie jumped. Oh god, how stupid was she?! This was the second time! She really had a short attention span. _'Imbecile, idiot, dummy!'_ she reprimanded herself. That was so careless. Her hands, for crying out loud, had mesmerized her. She could already hear everyone yelling at her if she lost because she was too involved with her hands. 

 "Yeah," Yuffie murmured, more than embarrassed. "You could've attacked me," she said.

 "Yeah, I could've," Luxina said. "But I didn't."

 Yuffie smiled on the inside. No, she didn't. Luxina wasn't that bad of a person, if she just learned to control her temper. She smiled even more when Luxina rushed at her, swinging her swords in arcs, creating an imaginary X. Yuffie jumped over them, hopped on Luxina's shoulders, and landed behind her. 

 "If you really want to test your skills," Yuffie called out from behind her. "You should get rid of one of your swords and fight me like a _real_ woman." 

 The ninja watched as the black-haired woman's shoulders tensed, absorbing her words. Twisting out her right arm horizontally, she threw one of her swords out of the ring. Now, with only one, she turned to Yuffie, holding the hilt in both hands. 

 She charged at Yuffie with it, thrusting it to aim straight in the crest of her breasts. Yuffie dodged to the left side of her, kicking her in the midsection with a snap kick. Luxina grumbled, saying something about her other sword. She slapped Yuffie's  leg away, thrusting her sword again, but this time at her unguarded leg, the one that had not delivered the snap kick. Yuffie let out an involuntary yelp as she used Dodge Roll, saving her from the stab of Luxina's weapon. Her exhaustion was getting to her, and badly.

 And light layer of sweat covered both women's bodies, their forms heaving with their gasping breaths. Yuffie wanted to end this _now._ If they didn't, she might very well faint. Jumping backwards to land at the edge of the ring, she smiled ruefully at Luxina.

 "Sorry, Luxina, but I have to win."  And she charged at her, and Luxina raised her sword to block it. But Yuffie had other plans, and flipped over Luxina, landing like a cat behind her yet again. The shinobi's vulpine move had caught the older woman off guard, so when Yuffie jumped up high and delivered a powerful spinning roundhouse kick to Luxina's spine, she had no way to be prepared for it. With a yell, she fell to her knees, and toppled over onto her side. 

 Luxina had lost.

 Her quivering form slowly stopped, as the older woman succumbed to unconsciousness, thanks to Yuffie's swift chop to her neck. Yuffie fell beside her, not even able to comprehend how exhausted she felt. Her limbs ached all over, and she felt like she was going to fall apart any moment. She ran her hands up and down her body, in hopes of relieving the pain. 

 The crowd roared painfully loudly, forcing Yuffie's hands to fly over her exposed ears. Her arms had started to bleed again, how annoying. But it was over now, so they could finally be seen to.

 "YOU DID GREAT!!" Aerith squealed as she jumped to the ninja's side. By the look on her face, you'd think Aerith had won the battle, not Yuffie.

 "Are you ok?" Goofy asked, his silliness rubbing off the seriousness of the situation.

 "Yeah, I guess," Yuffie murmured, not wanting them to all worry. Everyone was surrounding her, making her vision blur. She smiled lightly when she saw Sora holding a donut, and quickly snatched it from his hands.

 "Heyyy," he whined. Riku just slapped him. Yuffie took a small bite out of it and gave it back to the brunette. 

 "We should be getting back," Cid said above them all, staring up at the sky. It's getting dark." 

 "It's always dark here," Yuffie moaned, her brain throbbing.

 "That's Traverse Town," Aerith corrected gently, holding her hand to the shinobi's forehead. 

 "Whatever." 

 Squall had Luxina in his arms, her limp body hanging off of him. She didn't look like she would be waking up anytime soon. He had that mundane look in his eyes again, his brain ticking off elsewhere. Honesty, he didn't think Yuffie would win. Yes, he had always had some sort of confidence in her, but so did Luxina. She was more experienced and stronger, yet she fell. What was even more unbelievable was that she also fainted against an enemy who was younger, weaker, and had close-to-paralyzed arms. It was downright unnatural. 

 Yuffie looked slightly hysterical as Aerith and Cloud "assisted" her over the Cid's gummi ship. His so called 'baby'. Cid had thrown a literal fit about leaving it outside, thinking that it would be stolen or badly damaged. He really needed to get out more. 

 "Come on Yuffie," Aerith coaxed to the ninja, who was dragging her feet along the ground like a little kid. She didn't even try to stand up correctly, just wriggled around in their grip. Sora came behind the three and yanked Yuffie along with them, the trip to the ship seeming endless due to the fact that the girl they were carrying had no motive whatsoever to move. 

 Squall followed along behind them, but stopped when a chill ran up his spine. What was that? He could've sworn he heard something come from in the coliseum. He turned his head to the golden, wide-open gates, narrowing his eyes. Sure enough, his foretelling was right, as a painful yell roared out of the ring, followed by the sound of something being tossed aside.

 "What was that?!" Sora gasped, slightly aghast at the horrid noise. Even Yuffie, who was acting like a lifeless mannequin, stumbled up straight and stared at the doors. 

 "I don' like this," Cid grumbled, and opened the hatch of the ship, ready to force everyone in if necessary. Sora unsheathed his Key blade just for the heck of it, Donald and Goofy doing the same. Riku wasn't really sure what was happening, despite working for Malifecent, and hearing those kind of deadly noises daily. 

 A silhouette of a figure slowly started to emerge, the boots clicking nonchalantly on the sanded ground. They could see the malicious glint of the figure's weapon, which, to their shock, had blood covering it. Why did this person feel so familiar, except so..vague? Was that even possible? 

 Yuffie could feel her skin going pallid, her body getting oddly cold and frozen. She felt as if she couldn't move her legs, as her teeth chattered loudly, making her feelings obvious. Yuffie knew who it was. She didn't know how, just did. It was a feeling she had deep down, a feeling that made her blood freeze over and her heart turn to ice. 

 "What do you want?" Cloud yelled out, his blonde hair blowing violently in the wind. His clawed hand clenched and unclenched. Yes, he too knew who it was. 

 "You should know the answer to that question by now, Strife," the figure said, just as he stepped into the fire's light, his silver hair making it damn obvious of who he was. 

 Yuffie wanted to cry. What was Sephiroth doing here? They all had presumed him dead, not being able to escape from their planet. She had always hated him. Even before he had lost his mind, in her opinion, he was a recreation of the devil himself. Ok, he hadn't really _lost_ his mind, just gotten obsessed with things that didn't even make sense. She remembered watching him rant on to himself, muttering about things that were virtually impossible. Or course that only lasted for a few minutes, and then he would go back to his normal, reserved self. 

 But that was only in the beginning. He soon began to speak to himself almost all the time, talking about the destruction of things and everyone dying in the end. At that point, the young ninja stopped hanging around him completely, afraid he might just snap one day and decide to break her neck. Then the night came when the heartless attacked their home world. He was nowhere to be seen. They had all figured that he had finally lost it upon seeing the creatures, either committing suicide or getting himself killed by the Heartless. 

 But obviously not. Now it all made sense. Or at least they wanted to believe it did. Someway or another, he had a definite connection to the Heartless, and possibly to Ansem too. Sephiroth, even though he had always seemed to tell the truth, actually didn't tell them anything. About himself anyways. All they knew was that their parents had entrusted him with them as kids, and he had gone insane. He never had talked about himself, and everything about him was a mystery. Even now they knew nothing more than they did nine years ago. 

 Sephiroth's cold eyes flickered to Yuffie, deadpanning her. Gods, why was he looking at her like that? It was like he wanted to eat her or..Yuffie shivered at the thought of him trying anything sexual with her. But then, he seemed to be looking at Aerith the same way. What was going though that salacious mind of his? 

 "Yuffie," he purred out. On instinct, the sixteen-year-old took a few steps back, her face a mask of trepidation. "You've grown so much."

 "Yeah?" the shinobi grated, moving back some more until she felt the cool metal of the Gummi Ship against her back. "We all have." 

 "No," he continued. "But you've grown so much more than everyone else." He eyed her with a smirk. "Come with me," he said so suddenly, it caught Yuffie completely off guard. But she didn't have to answer, because Squall stepped in front of her.

 "Leave her alone," he snapped. Sephiroth gave a cruel laugh and stared him down. 

 "What are you going to do _Squall_," he stated, saying his name with as much sarcasm as possible. "Fight me? You can't win. You never could. I always told you to keep trying, but I was just leading you on, you ingrate. You were never that strong. Even Cloud is a testament against your strength, and he's three years less experience than you!"

 The silver-haired man's words stung the brunette like arrows. It _was_ true. He wasn't as strong as he wanted to be, or ever expected to. Cloud was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but he wasn't going to let that comparison falter him. Sephiroth was trying to anger him as much as possible. Because when a person became angry, they became reckless. Which made them stupid. But Sephiroth really hadn't learned anything from watching over them if he thought that Squall would succumb to such a simple jest as that. 

 "I don't have to be that strong to defeat you," Squall said, more pride in the words than truth. He knew in reality that he wouldn't be able to defeat the older man by himself, without some magical aid at least. 

 "Why do you hate me so? You used to look up to me," Sephiroth snorted, as if seeing him as an idol was shameful. And it was. Whoever thought of Sephiroth as someone to follow, was as bad as Satan himself.

 "I don't hate you," Squall said. _'Until you started to act like you wanted Yuffie,'_ he silently thought. He couldn't think of why he cared, but it just presented itself as disturbing. This man, probably about twice the age of Yuffie, was looking at her lustrously, and it was driving him insane. He wouldn't put it past the silver-haired man to have undergone some perverted change along with his power increase. 

 Yuffie watched the two "converse". She felt extremely trepid. That man could strike out at any moment, and he wouldn't miss. He never did. That was one thing to learn about Sephiroth. You could only avoid him for so long before he ensnared you in a cage of writhing torture and agony. He never showed that side to them, of course, but they knew it was there. Always lurking under his gentle façade, he loomed with tremendous power and destruction. Gods, she feared what would happen if he ever unleashed it upon one of them. They would become pawns in his senseless game of unlivable death. 

 Everyone seemed to share the same pallor, save for Squall, whose face had a tinge of angered crimson spreading across it. He had a phantom-like glint in his eyes, like he was going to kill Sephiroth if he provoked him. It was like an epiphany of hell for all of them.

 "Come to me," Sephiroth said suddenly. Yuffie felt an unearthly tug at her body, making her insides lurch. What the hell was that? Involuntarily, her feet started to drag themselves across the sand, leaving Yuffie to watch in horror. What was she doing? What were _they_ doing? Was she loosing it so much that she couldn't even control her own body? No. It wasn't her. It was that serpentine man in front of her, the one she was unfortunately being leaded to.

 Yuffie's panicked stare lead to Aerith, surprised to see that it was having the same effects on her, as well as Luxina, who had awoken from shock. Salacious pervert, it seemed to attract the female bodies, one way or another. Yuffie swung her arms around herself, as if she would slap away the invisible hand that was pulling her. 

 "DAMMIT!!" Yuffie heard Cloud roar. Yep, he was pissed. He had grabbed Aerith, and had actually managed to make her stop moving, but barely. He had his feet dug deeply into the ground, and was straining even now to constrain her. Squall had other plans though. Instead of grabbing onto Luxina or Yuffie, he charged right at Sephiroth, bringing down the GunBlade directly over his head. Albeit, it was no use, because he blocked it before the blow landed. Sephiroth's long sword threw Squall back, who just attacked him again. It was helping though. It seemed that Sephiroth could only work the power on them if he was concentrating on them, and he was too preoccupied with Squall.

 "You are getting on my nerves," Sephiroth said about five minutes later, after an eternity of continuous parrying of the GunBlade. He looked around tepidly. Luxina was being shoved roughly into the ship by Cid, and Aerith was presumably already in the Gummi with Cloud. He smirked. That left only one. Before Sora and Riku could dive to grab the shinobi, Sephiroth quickly snatched her into his arms, jumping back just in time to avoid Squall's attack. 

 Sora pulled out his Ultima Weapon, Riku pulling out the Dream Sword Mickey had given him. Squall seemed on the verge of killing him, as did Sora and Riku.

 "Attacking me would be foolish," Sephiroth stated. He held Yuffie in the air by her neck, making her claw at his hands in hope for oxygen. "Unless you want to harm her." 

 Hesitantly, they all put their weapons down, feeling utterly helpless. What were they supposed to do? He was right, if they attacked, he would just use Yuffie as a shield, and it would undoubtedly kill her. They could hear Aerith and Luxina making a racket in the ship, not approving of Yuffie's current position. It would do no use for them to come out. Sephiroth would just capture them too.

 "How does it feel," he said. "To be completely powerless to stop me?" 

 "Like shit," Squall ground out, not bothering to cover his complete hatred for this man. Yuffie's dulcet moan broke the deadly silence, as she tried in vain to breathe. Sephiroth placed her back in his arms, as she took lungfuls of breath, her face still slightly blue. 

 "She's mine now," Sephiroth said ominously. What happened next was something that they would forever remember. Sephiroth's feathery, black wing burst out of his shoulder blade, covering half of his menacing body. He lifted his left arm up to the sky, as his pupils dilated so much that it gave the impression that he was blind. The wind swirled around him, as the ground brought up palsies, breaking up and tremoring like gaping crevices. A green force field grew around him and Yuffie, preventing any further attack. Then it happened. Pillars of amorphous flame blasted around them, the heat of it extremely poignant. It closed in on the shinobi and Sephiroth, until they were so close that they blended together and disappeared in a ball of smoke. Sephiroth and Yuffie were gone, he had just kidnapped her, in the blink of an eye.

  "Dammit!" Squall yelled, throwing his weapon to the ground. "DAMMIT!!" Everyone was in a state of complete awe. Sephiroth had just taken Yuffie, and they had barely seen it happen. Ok, yeah, they had seen him, but they had no comprehension of how he had just evaporated within the flames. Where did he go? And why did he steal her in the first place?

  No one had anything comforting to say. Even Goofy, who had always seemed to have a sunny attitude, was at a loss of words. They wasn't much to say. The verisimilitude that Yuffie would be completely unharmed was a lie. Sephiroth wasn't the type of person who would capture someone and then leave him or her unscathed. It wasn't in his nature. He had always been a paragon to them, but that was back then. Stealing a sixteen-year-old girl had just made him fall to an all time low. He probably didn't even have any remorse for his wrong. Either way, they had no idea what to do.

~*~*~*~

 Yuffie blinked rapidly, trying to focus her vision. Where was she? Turning over, she realized she was laying in a soft, silken bed, covered with black satin sheets. Gods, what was that? Looking down, she almost screamed. Her loose, ninja like clothes had been replaced with a long, white dress that felt extremely tight around her torso and breasts. It certainly accentuated her cleavage, something she didn't even think she was capable of having. It felt light and smooth, but it seemed hard to move in. 

 That bastard Sephiroth. What had he done to her? She didn't care what his reasons were, she swore she would personally give him a facial change with her shruikens. 

 She slipped herself off of the side of the bed, the dress making her almost paralyzed. Her clothes, and sadly, her weapons were nowhere in sight. Shiva, he was going to pay dearly for committing such a salacious act. 

 Stumbling toward the huge ebony doors, she tried to force them open, since there was an absence of doorknobs. But it was if something held it tight, because it refused to budge. Oh well, if she couldn't get him to open up the doors, she would just drive him to the edge of insanity.

 "LET ME OUT!!! LET ME OUT!!! LETTTT MEEEE OUTTTT!!!" she hollered at the top of her lungs, banging her fists loudly against the doors. Being ladylike was something she never put into consideration, and that was proven right as she started to shout unimaginable profanities that would render even Cid speechless. If he didn't give her the right of day, he would find a bunch of her weapons shoved right up his sorry ass. "SEPHIROTHHHHHH!!!!!" 

 So she shouted on and on, until it became obvious that no one would heed her. He was scorning her pleas, not even bothering to come and see her. But what if he wasn't even here? He could've just dressed her up, locked her in a room, and left her to die with some pervert. 

 And what about her friends. Were they even trying to locate her? It wretched her heart just to think that they didn't even care that she had been taken. Maybe she was like a third wheel to them all. A bother and a nuisance. Did they care? Yuffie liked to think so, but it just seemed so impossible. Maybe it was better this way. If she could get used to Sephiroth, she might live out a happy life. Yes, she had a probable mutual hating for him, but she could get over it, right? He might have been trying to tell her something by taking her hostage. Like that she was better off with him. Not that she could picture that at the moment.

 "Figure it out yet?" Yuffie jumped a mile. 

 "Where did you come from?" she demanded, clutching her trembling hands. Sephiroth just smiled mysteriously.

 "I have my ways."

 "Figure out what?"

 "Why I brought you here." He walked closer to her. She inched away, when all she wanted to do was run as fast as she could. 

 "I-I don't know…" she whispered. She was slightly trepid of saying what she thought was the real reason. He might get angered and hurt her, and without her weapons, she was completely vulnerable.

 "Because you are so venal," he stated, running his hand through his silken hair. "So easy to corrupt. Look at you now. You are shivering at the thought that I might strike you." Yuffie drew her eyebrows together, trying to forget the fact that his motive was probably to kill her. 

 "I am not afraid," she muttered, more to herself. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the bed frame, watching her with darkened eyes.

 "Good, because if you were it would make it so much harder of what I have to do," he said. She wasn't sure what it was, just the plain way he said it that send shivers quaking down her spine. 

 "What do you want from me?" It was the infamous line every protagonist used when they were flustered by foes. 

 "Nothing that you should now about right now," he said airily. Yuffie wanted to slap him. Of course the fear overran that. So he was planning something. She highly doubted it was anything good, basing it on the fact that Sephiroth was a total selfish ass. 

 He walked away without a word, opening the door as if it was nothing, the same door that Yuffie threw a fit trying to unlock. "I'll leave this unlocked," he told her over his shoulder. "Come down anytime you like."

 "Where are you going!" she yelled at his receding back. But he didn't answer. Yuffie slumped down to the floor. She truly was a baby.

 A/N: This took a lot longer than I expected. I think I have writers block…already. By the way, I do not hate Sephiroth. I'm not obsessed with him, but he's ok. Sorry if any of you like him because I made him sound like a total antagonist. I am sorry if I used some words wrong in the last chapter. I just noticed that now. I have no idea what I was doing, but I obviously wasn't paying attention. So if you think I am a total ass that has extremely bad grammar, ok.  


	5. Help Me

 Finding Your Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. 

Chapter Five: Help Me

 "What are we going to do?" Aerith asked, fearing to speak too loudly. If Squall overheard, he'd probably snap and go into those rages again. He had already done so twice, and it wasn't pretty. He was like some kind of time bomb that could explode any moment. 

 "I don't know," Cloud murmured, also having a sense to not have spoken normally. The way Squall was acting gave the look that he cared for Yuffie more than he let on. Either that or his entire normalcy had left him and he was just succumbing to total and crazy loneliness. 

 "It's so difficult to find her," the solemn woman whispered. "He just…disappeared. We can't lock onto his life force, and he left no trace of his whereabouts."

 "We've been trying to lock onto Yuffie," the blonde said. "But she's just as difficult as Sephiroth. I think that he purposely put some force field around the area so we can't scan her." 

 "I'm worried," Luxina muttered, taking a seat next to Aerith. Coming from her, it sounded very odd indeed. 

 "Really," Cloud said dryly. Luxina just shot him an annoyed glare and slumped in her seat, silently ruminating to herself. 

 "Yes, I am." 

 Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy were all sleeping in the quarters at the back of the ship, with Cid at the controls. The four of them were extremely exhausted, despite having slept on their own Gummi as well. 

 Being a Keyblade master really took its toll. Both Sora and Riku knew that. The burden of having to save all humanity was too much to bear for a teenager. What kind of being bestowed the most powerful weapon in the universe to a simple kid? It was like light a match near a carton of oil. It was just asking for trouble. 

 Donald and Goofy must have been half crazy to actually follow through with Sora on their journey. But, on the contrary, friendship could do that to you. Those two half-creatures actually stayed loyal to Sora throughout the whole of the journey, even when Riku claimed his weapon. They were truly an odd trio, now with one more addition. 

 Cid glanced at the console of the ship. It surprised him how fast the generation of kids he knew learned how to pilot it in such a short period of time. At first, he had been proud to have been the only one knowing how the drive the contraption. But after just a few tries behind the wheel, they all learned how to do it. It was shocking, and at the least embarrassing, that their minds worked so much faster than the old Gummi dealer's. But then again, you had to give him some credit. It wasn't everyday that a forty three year old decided to tromp around with a bunch of adolescents.

 Cid let out an audible sigh. They were currently traveling back to Traverse Town, where they could all sleep, eat, and clear their heads. Their minds were all fuzzed at the moment. It was like Fate decided to ruin their picture-perfect happiness and send down it's greatest demon, Sephiroth to steal their seraph for himself. 

 They also still hadn't figured out what Sephiroth was planning. They couldn't bear to think of any more creations walking on the face of mankind and once again wracking havoc on their planetary havens. These planets were the only homes they had, and from the constant beating they were enduring, no one was sure that one day they would just give in and collapse. 

 Squall looked groggily out of his window. He hadn't slept for three days straight. He had his mind on other things, so much that he couldn't even bear to close his eyes. He was really losing good time. If it wasn't Yuffie's cries that kept him gazing up at the ceiling, it was always something else. Albeit, before he could dwell on it for too long, he turned his vapid attention back to the window, in hopes of finding some refuge from his pain.

 It had happened again. He had again been powerless to stop another being from being taken to a torturous infliction. He hadn't even been weak, like nine years ago. And yet he couldn't prevent this mishap. It was gnawing at his insides, killing him from the inside out. What kind of hero was he, if he couldn't even stand up against an enemy that should've been destroyed long ago? That obscene man, in his eyes, didn't deserve to live, to not even breathe. 

 "Squall."

 "What," he snapped at the blonde. Cloud ignored his sour reply.

 "We'll find her."

 "Shut up."

~*~*~*~

 Yuffie stomped around the room in an allegretto, her distraught attitude getting the better of her. By Gods, this was probably the worst place to be held captive. It was freezing, she had only dresses as alternative clothing, and she was starving to death. She hated going outside because it was even draftier out there, and the hallways were completely empty, save for her. Besides, there were so many doors, all with different mixtures and designs. Dazzling, yes, but to Yuffie it was just another way to become panchromatic. How could Sephiroth stand to be in a place like this? Of course, he probably couldn't stand it much more than she; either that or he wasn't even here. 

 How she longed for an analgesic. Yes, someone had healed her arms before she had arrived, but they didn't seem to have done an extraordinary job because she kept getting stinging sensations up her limbs, like they had punctured her skin with a needle to cure her. 

  It was getting colder. And there was this stupid whistling noise coming from somewhere. Her skin grew even more pallid, as goose bumps rose up on her flesh. There was draft coming in from somewhere, but it's whereabouts was unidentifiable. Those sayings about how if you follow the wind you find a way out were very contradictable at the moment. But it didn't matter. Come hell or high water, she would survive this. _'Consider this your road to adulthood,' _the shinobi thought impishly. Maybe the wind was getting the better of her because this certainly didn't seem very enlightening, much less the route to maturity.

 A low moaning sound was heard near the corner of the nebulous room. Yuffie narrowed her eyes and pounced at the location, her hands finding a small, bit out hole in the wall. It looked like it had been gnawed straight off by some creature. A rat, maybe. Or a Heartless. 

 Yuffie looked around the room. Getting up and grabbing one of the dresses from the bureau, she shoved as much as she could of the cloth into the minute hole. With the whistling noise finally solved, Yuffie dragged herself around the room, in search for the source of frigid air. She looked behind the bed, checked the windows, which were sealed tight, the bathroom, and the closets and bureau, but found nothing. She searched it a few more times, but after thirty minutes it became obvious that it was probably just the location of the place she was in, not the room itself. 

 Yuffie threw herself onto the bed, her fear and anxiety having long left her. All she wanted to do now was go home. This place wasn't exactly hospitable. More like a place to bring serial killers and criminals. 

 Oh how she longed to just roam without the trepidation of being jumped. This whole area gave off a haunting feeling, emanating shadowy waves of death. Naturally, it's lighter counterpart couldn't compete. It was obvious light and hope had been drained out of this rancid place, leaving an open and gaping void for darkness to take over and rule supreme. Light had no chance here.

 Yuffie reflected on it, her mind going into a trance, as if looking at the universe from above.

 Everyone always said that Evil never won, that good was always the victor. But did they even know the hypocrisy of their own words? Barely. Darkness, in some antagonistic way, always won. It would always be there. Even when you had light, the dazzling brightness always created more shadows for lurking fears. Darkness was always remaining, never dormant, always prepared to pounce. Tainting the world in it's onyx blood, drawing it's cold, obsidian grip around their very lives, it was even out of the control of the devil. Nothing could control darkness. 

 But for light, it seemed so. They could create light, but with darkness, there seemed to be a clueless void of emptiness. They made lamps, discovered fire, did everything in their power to protect themselves from the looming threat of midnight black. Having the great power of holding light in their very hands had gotten the human race too cocky and rash. They squirmed away from the darkness, fearing it. They get so used to the ever-brimming brightness that they can't think of life without their precious light. It was pathetic. It seemed nowadays everyone had a fear of the dark. 

 "Having fun?" Sephiroth rudely interrupted her. Yuffie's eyes, which had unknowing gone nebulous, returned to their normal color, her pupils going back to the same size. 

 "What's going on," the ninja whispered. Her lips felt icy, her view of the world having changed to cruel resentment. But the resentment wasn't hers. Or at least she wished it wasn't. This disgust had bubbled within her like a geyser, exploding without notice. Her heart twisted sadistically, her hand clenching, itching to feel blood.

 "You're feeling the effects of the drug," Sephiroth purred coolly. Yuffie's eyes widened. _'The drug? What drug?!'_  she thought, her rage even now teetering her over the edge. 

 "What…did…you…do," she hissed venomously. Her body shook, as if containing a demon that was ready to come out.

 "While you were sleeping, I slipped you a drug. It is supposed to speed up your adrenaline glands. It seems to be working," Sephiroth observed. 

 "What do you think you'll accomplish doing this?" Yuffie gasped, the drug taking starting to enclose her in it's vice grip. Her ursine anger didn't phase Sephiroth in the least. 

 "A lot, trust me," he said tepidly. His monotone eyes watched her termagant movement, swaying and fighting to stay in control. Good, she was almost his. All she needed was a little convincing, and she would be perfect. With timed footing, he starting to circle around her form slowly, looking straight ahead of himself, proving he wasn't bothered if she decided to attack. "You can take revenge," he started. Yuffie said nothing, but her peremptory growl told him enough. "For all the wrongs they had done to in the past," he continued. "They treated you badly, they ignored you. They talked about you behind your back, they betrayed you. They aren't even looking for you now. They are relieved you are gone. They don't care about you."

 "You're lying!" Yuffie gasped out, clutching her heaving chest. She still had enough of sense to know he was trying to manipulate her. …Or was he? If he was, why did his words sound so, true? Convincing? It was if it was real, not just some words he spewed from his deceitful mouth? It pained her to think that they didn't want her.

 "No, I'm not," he said sternly. "You even think so yourself. You know that they always had some distrust toward you, that they looked down upon you. You are just a child to them,Yuffie. They will never look at you with equal eyes. You will always be under them." 

 Yuffie started to tremble. No, it wasn't true! It couldn't be. He was trying to take her, turn her against them. But the demon and anger inside of her was growing, telling her to just destroy them all and rid of her misery. It sounded so simple at the moment, so welcoming to dissipate her pain. He obviously wasn't done yet though. He would continue until she crumbled.

 "All those times they were kind to you, it was a lie. That's what they do. They take pleasure in seeing you cry. They may say they're sorry, but they don't really mean it. They just say it so they can hurt you and make your cry all over again without fully breaking you. Because what's the fun of mocking a lifeless person? Yuffie, they hate you. You are just some toy to them. You don't really matter. If you died today, they wouldn't know, wouldn't even care. Y-"

  "SHUTTUP!!!" She screamed at his moving figure. He just eyed her, while her own started to fill with tears.

 "Why? Because it's true. You know it is. They want you to die! They love to see you in pain. You know how you cry at night? Squall hears you, and he laughs. He finds it funny that you are scared. What kind of friend is that?"

 "STOP IT!!" 

"Remember when Cloud left all of you? It was because of _you_ Yuffie. He couldn't take your babyish whining, so he left. You were the cause of Aerith's pain for losing him for so many years. And Cid, do you actually think that when he curses at you he's just joking? He hates you too!"

 "STOOOPPPPPP!!!!!" she howled, tears cascading down her face. The drug took full effect of her, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly, clutching her shaking shoulders. Sephiroth smirked. There she is. She was his now. 

 "Yuffie," he whispered, his voice going dulcet and soft. He kneeled over, and slowly placed his hands on her shoulders. "But Yuffie, you have me. They want to dead, but I want to at my side. You're beautiful," he purred, lifting her chin and stroking her face. Her lip trembled at his touch, her reddened eyes cringing. "Join me," he urged. "Stay with me, and we can wreck havoc on them and this torturous world. You won't need them as long as I'm here. You can come to love me," he finished, pressing his lips against her forehead. He then pulled her into a hug, which she accepted lifelessly. "What do you say?" he murmured into her hair.

 Yuffie considered it. Her mind felt mangled and poured over with lava, but she managed to focus it on his offer. It sounded so promising. He might be right. Maybe she didn't need them, if she had him. She could forget her stupid little secret crush on Squall and fall victim to Sephiroth's charms. It was so very inviting. So, she sealed her fate.

 "Ok."

~*~*~*~*~   

 "How's it going?" Sora asked Cid, who was bent low over the table, staring at miles of blue charts and maps. 

 "Horrible. It's like trying to find Atlantis. It's impossible!" he groaned in frustration, banging his head on the tabletop.

 "If Sephiroth and Yuffie were able to get to…wherever they are, then it is possible," Sora pointed out optimistically. Cid just groaned. Sora's sunny attitude was reminding him of Yuffie, who he didn't want to be reminded of right now. Finding her was a pain in the arse, and you could bet that getting her back from Sephiroth would be even worse. 

 Sora walked away from the dealer, figuring he needed his piece to concentrate. They were in Merlin's house, trying to use his knowledge to find out the shinobi's whereabouts. The brunette walked up to Merlin, who sitting in the chair on the spiraling rise in the middle of the room. He too had books arraying the desk in front of him.

 "How about you?" Sora questioned the magician. Merlin just shook his weary head, running his hand over his face. 

 "This is unlike anything I have ever encountered before," he murmured, his glassed sliding to the tip of his nose and he looked closely at one book. "Whoever took Yuffie had uncharted technology and magic. Their cloaking device is amazing."

 "So there's nothing on the maps?" Sora asked, a little defeated.

 "Nothing."

 Sora looked around the bleak room, noticing everybody was studying at least something. Sora felt extremely stupid at the moment, as if he didn't care what would happen. Studying maps and volumes was out of question, he had already learned that that was getting them nowhere. So what was left? He didn't like being a third wheel, he wanted to do _something. _

 He ruminated over what to do. There had to be someone in this whole galaxy who had at least a little knowledge of where it was. Maleficient would've been useful at the moment. Wait..that was it! Sora felt so proud of himself he could seem. But of course being a fourteen-year-old boy, he refused to do such a thing. Grabbing Riku, he dragged him out of the smashed out wall on the side.

 "Hey! What are you doing? I was just-" Sora interrupted him.

 "Riku! I know how we can find where Yuffie is!" Riku gave him a bewildered look. 

 "What does it have to do with me?"

 "It has everything to do with you, Riku," Sora said matter-of-factly. They jumped on the moving rocks, landing themselves in the alleyway. Sora grabbed Riku's arm and again dragged him, until they were at the end of the alley, where all the boxes and barrels lay forgotten.

 "Ok, talk," Riku sighed, pulling himself to sit on one of the boxes. 

 "Well, I think Ansem had to have gone there at least once, " Sora hesitated upon saying it. He knew Riku was very touchy about the subject, but it had to be done. 

 "So?" Riku said harshly. He didn't mean to be rude, but this topic was the least of his favorites. 

 "Riku, can you remember anything after he took control of your body?" 

  Riku closed his eyes, he palpitating heart resounding around the alley. Or it seemed so to his ears. Of course he remembered. He remembered everything. And he could only watch in horror as Ansem used his body for unspeakable things, determined to bring about the destruction of the universe. Being controlled by was something he had never planned. He didn't know that the weak, hooded looking figure was someone of his caliber. He had enclosed Riku in his mind of darkness before he even realized the trickery he had fallen into. It was the greatest regret of his life. He had almost killed his best friend, for crying out loud. And that had been the last straw. He refused to stay feared of Ansem. He held no control over him, and he never would again. Riku had to help his friends, and he wasn't going to let his trepidation get in the way.

 "Yeah, I remember going to someplace like that," he muttered. Sora inclined his head, trying to listen. "It was some kind of floating castle, like Hollow Bastion, except it had no way in, no way out. Not even I am sure how we got inside. Just, flew right through. But anyways, besides Ansem, Sephiroth, and the Heartless, I think it's impossible to get there."

 'You're starting to sound like Cid," Sora sighed, hanging his head. "Do you remember where it was?" he said to the ground.

 "Between the darkness and the light," Riku murmured. Sora looked up and stared at him.

 "What?"

 "It's located between the darkness and the light. That's all Ansem said. Then we were there. That's all I remember." 

 Sora looked at Riku's eyes. They held shame and regret. "It's not your fault you can't remember more," Sora said. Riku just threw himself off of the box, his back facing Sora. 

 "Between the darkness and the light," he said. "God I am so useless. THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT!? THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE! DAMMIT!!!!" Riku screamed at the night sky, then took off before Sora could grab him. 

 "Oh Riku."

~*~*~*~*~

 _I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all of my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Because your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

 

 "You'll have to forget about them all, you know that?"

 "I know."

 "You can't have any attachments to them. They make you weak."

 "I know."

 Her hands ran over the cold metal cylinder of machine. So icy, so dead, so lifeless. Just like her. This machine would help her to attain her true destiny, to be what she should've been all along. Her life was worthless now. It was time to place it in the hands of another. 

These wounds won't seem to heal 

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just to much that time cannot erase_

"It's time," he whispered into her ear. Her heart palpitated around the room, echoing her deal with him. He opened a glass case, pulling out a metal headgear. He gave the accessory to Yuffie.

 Yuffie took it, placing it over her head. It covered her eyes, and sat around the back of her head. Her hair was barely visible because of it's shortness. 

 Sephiroth pulled out two chords from the machine, linking them to the back of the mask. He then turned on the contraption, as it jolted and started with a low humming sound. A reddish liquid flowed up the chords, and into the mask. The once dull and lifeless eyes sockets became a crimson color, pupil less and just as heartless. The last of the liquid drained out and Sephiroth removed the chords.

 "Those are to keep you in check. With this on, you an invulnerable to them. Take it off, and they will kill you. Get it?"

 "I get it."

 "Good."

 _You used to captivate me_

_By you resonating light_

_But now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me_

 Yuffie watched Sephiroth hand her a long sword and her shruikens. Everything was tainted a bloody red color, further provoking her rage. She was going to do it. They meant nothing to her anymore. They had become _her_ pawns now. They would die, but it wouldn't be much of a loss. She didn't deserve to live any more than they. She would fall with them eventually, because in her heart she knew she just couldn't leave them so suddenly. 

 "They'll be here soon," he said. Yuffie just nodded. His form seemed less menacing now with her weapons back. Did he not realize that she hated him as much as everyone else? Once she destroyed them all, she would plot to take him out. He had said that they would bask in victory together, but she knew it was a lie. He would exile her as soon as she fulfilled her purpose. And she wasn't about to let that happen.

 Her heart had gotten cold and vapid. There was no space for love and light anymore, the darkness had seethed her with it's power. Not even she was sure she could control herself. How great it would be to be immortal. She wouldn't have to worry about the fears of dying, she was everlasting. But then, with the choice she made, she supposed no one was going to take pity on her now. 

 It was her choice to betray them all. But in her point of view, which was a quite deranged on at this time, it was just a taste of their own medicine. They would've done it to her sooner or later. She was just giving them their payment back ten fold a little sooner than expected. 

 Sephiroth, who placidly placed his hand on her shoulder, rudely interrupted her psychosomatic thoughts. "You are becoming too cocky too soon,' he said, eying her dangerously. "Don't forget out deal. You turn on me, and I will kill you." 

 "I heard you the first time, and I know!" she vociferated. Gods, this man was getting on her thinning nerves. No more was the young child with unarming impatience, but a woman with a flaring temper. If she was pestered enough, by Gods she would eliminate everyone in the blink of an eye. 

 "They'll be here soon. That boy, Riku, will lead them." Yuffie frowned. Riku, another faint name of her vibrant past. She silently wondered if he deserved what everyone else did. Did he? She hadn't met him until about a day ago. He had no involvement with everyone else until now. So much was he like her. He turned his back on his friends too but…

 He had gone back to them. He had realized that what he was doing wasn't right. She couldn't understand why he had left that life, when he had so much coming for him. Perhaps the darkness was too overwhelming for him. Reflecting back on it, Yuffie realized that the life of shadows might be even too overwhelming for her. 

 What would she do now that she had crossed over? Laughing and being happy were unspeakable. This poignant binding of her feelings did much to dent her personality. She didn't feel like the same person anymore. Yuffie sounded so foreign to her that she wasn't even sure who it was. Not knowing your own name was a bitter tragedy indeed.

 Sephiroth had much prestige in the darkened world of death. To them, he was a god. Yuffie knew not whether he could control the Heartless or not, but she wouldn't put it past him. He strived off of the shifting, amorphous life of the undead. It was like he would always be present. You couldn't escape him, couldn't hide from him even if you tried.

 What had she done? It was like the error of what she had chosen had just hit her. She had made a deal with the devil, sealing her fate to him. He was ready to take her life away at a moments notice. Was she that useless that even the evil found her a worthless pest? How she longed to be back in the arms of the people she hated. But that wasn't possible. After all, she hated them. You can't love the people you hate. You can't balance both of them. You either have one or the other. Apparently, Yuffie had hate heavily outweighing love. 

 Yuffie watched the verbose man drape a midnight black cloak over her lithe shoulders, pulling the hood over her headgear. She would become one with the night, preying on any who dared stand in her way. She was perfect. Her mind was still very venal, but it could be strengthened. With the right training, she would become a merciless killer, maybe even a mercenary. She was a paragon of the perfect structure to create darkness. She was his own little creation, albeit not even she realized the fact yet. 

 _These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

 Walking out into the frigid air, she took her post upon a cement gargoyle, it's menacing head stretching over castles edges. Yes, she would be the guardian of this dark castle, her new found home. They were going to find her eventually, and then they would know who she really was.

 _When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I've held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

 _I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_And though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_

 A/N: Gomen, this chapter was a little short. Oh and, I didn't get the idea of Yuffie waking up in a dress from Sailor Moon. I used to watch that show, but that wasn't where I got the idea from. And yes, this is still a Squall and Yuffie. Like I said, I like to draw things out. So just bear with me people!! Thank you for all the people who reviewed too. I am trying really hard to get these chapters out, but I must warn you, I might slow down since my studying for the finals are next week, and the actual thing is the week after. Sigh…the good news is that's the only obstacle left so once I'm done with that, I'm free to write! Yay. R & R!!!


	6. Impending Death

Finding Your Heart

 Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

 Chapter Six

 Sora clomped back through the murky water, the slimy, green bottom making him internally flinch. You'd think the town would have the courtesy of cleaning the waterway, since waterways are usually not GREEN. The mayor of the town must be very obtuse to not notice the sickening water. Albeit, he probably didn't give a whiz about the color of the water. It's not like anybody went through it, save for Squall and his ally's. 

 _'Squall'_, he thought with a frown. The man had become a source of endless diatribes to all of them. It was like he was going through an insanity phrase. One minute he was in complete delirium, the next he was blaspheming all over the place. He was like a Cid clone, except worse. At least Cid didn't erratically decide to just slam his fist violently into a wall, then not bother to clean the blood and bandage it afterwards. He was turning asinine because of this incident. Maybe if he would just calm down and help, they might actually get somewhere.

 "Argh, of all the agonies," Sora groaned as he slipped on a moss-covered rock. Merlin had some nerve to make a passageway right through this goo. He let out a relieved sigh and the water lowered, until he was standing on dry land again. Personally, he hated going this way because whenever he got out he smelled like old fish. 

 The brunette climbed up the stairs noisily, his shoes filled with water. Oh joys. Why did he choose to go this way? _'Because I would've fallen into the water if I went through the door anyways,'_ he reminded himself. That water wasn't much better either. True, it wasn't green, but it was deep. Plus, he always had this creeping feeling that a huge shark or something was just going to pop up and eat him. He usually thought of that right before he smashed face-first into one of those stupid moving rocks. 

 "Where's Riku?" Goofy asked, not paying attention to Sora's soaked body. Sora shook his head, remembering how the older boy had took off right after retelling his account of Yuffie's location. 

 "He ran away somewhere. I couldn't find him." 

 "What happened to you?" Donald's voice interrupted Sora's next words. 

 "Don't ask."

 "I just did." 

 Sora shot a flagrant look in the ducks direction. Did he always have to be so damn logic? It drove him up the walls whenever the creature corrected him. Sora's obtrusive glare caught the attention of Cloud, who looked about to collapse from reading.

 "Why did you go in the first place?" the mercenary inquired.

 "To see if Riku knew where Yuffie was."

 "Well did he?"

 "Yeah."

 Everyone looked up. It sounded somewhat odd, to know that the answer had been in front of them all along. Riku knew? But how? 

 "When he was being controlled by Ansem, he was taken there once." Sora filled in for them. "But what he told me was…confusing."

 "Confusing?" This coming from Aerith.

 "How?" Cid asked. Sora placed his head in his hands momentarily. Too many questions. It was giving him a headache.

 "Riku said it was located between the darkness and the light. Then he ran off because he said he was too useless to give any real information."

  No one had an answer for that. Sora figured as much. That was pretty difficult. There were a million meanings to that, and it took a great mind to figure out which one was correct. 

 Even Merlin seemed perplexed. He kept pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, muttering nonsense words. 

 "That is confusing," Aerith murmured. "Almost impossible to figure out. Space is literally a huge dark gap within itself, and for the light, well; there are billions and billions of stars that give off brightness. So it could be anywhere."

"Thanks for your optimism," Sora sighed. But she was right. It _could_ be anywhere. The universe was a place of untold wonders and secrets, and humans were far from discovering them all. 

 Squall watched them all concentrate with an annoyed pallor. God, he didn't think he could take anymore of this. Yes, he knew that everyone thought he was crazy. But it didn't matter. Because he knew he wasn't, so who cared what they thought? They would get the idea that he was just worried about Yuffie through their thick skulls some time or later. 

 Yes, he did care about Yuffie. He hadn't even realized it at first. Being her guardian for almost all of her life had that effect on you. He had made a promise to her parents nine years ago, and he had failed it. He vowed he would protect and keep her from harm. But he couldn't. He let his weakness overtake him and she was, in turn, taken from him. It was like a part of him was missing now. He couldn't hear her laugh, cry, or get angry anymore. It was a void in his life that couldn't be filled back in until he found her. And by gods, he WOULD find her. Even if it meant giving up his life in the process. 

 She was the only light that shone in his darkened heart. She had unknowingly been the only one to breach his façade and actually reach him. He had always been distant to everyone, but her, well; he couldn't do so even if she tried. She was persistent, and refused to let him go. She was like a kitten. You throw rocks at it and kick it, but it'll just come back, whining and purring like nothing happened. Her insistence drove him mad at times, but he realized that that had been the only reason to actually keep him going. Without her, he had no reason to live. He wasn't one to break promises. He would stay by her side, just for that purpose. Even if she got married, had kids, and moved far away, he would still be there to protect her if she needed it. Of course, he would never admit or tell this to anyone, let alone her. It worried him to some extent to have her thinking that no one cared about her, but at the time he'd rather keep his dignity. 

 Maybe he was digging too deep into this situation. They would find her, that he knew. They always it. She wouldn't just turn her back on them. It was completely out of character for her. Knowing her, she was probably screaming and slamming around, demanding to be set free. 

 That was it. He had made up his mind. He had become too useless in these few hours. Everyone had already dubbed him senile. Well, it was time to show them that he really could keep him calm. He hated being at this moment of weakness, but it would be soon forgotten. Closing his eyes, he once again regained his cool, collective attitude, reverting back into the Squall that everyone was oh so familiar with. 

 "Don't we have an alternative source of information?" The Gunblade wielder asked. All eyes turned to him, slightly surprised that he was normal again. 

 "We could return to Hollow Bastion and check out the library," Aerith's dulcet voice rang out. 

 "That would be a very wise idea," Merlin said. "Unfortunately, I will not be joining you. But I am sure you can find the answer all on your own."

 "Ummm, I don't think we should go either," Sora said finally. They all looked at him. "I-I'm tired…and we still need to find Riku..besides…I am sick of going onto adventures…I just want to go home." 

 "If Sora's not going, we're not going either," Goofy announced. Donald nodded. 

 So Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy stayed at Traverse Town, whilst Cid, Aerith, Cloud, Luxina, and Squall packed up and made a course toward Hollow Bastion. They had planned that if anything went wrong, Sora and his friends would be the second front. They had all hoped it would not come to that. Everyone was split up now, each individual and easy prey. And so their adventure began.

 ~*~*~*~

 A/N: All I have to say is, if you don't like SoKairi, then just skip this scene.

 She looked out into the azure sky, her sun greatly reflecting upon her orbs. What time was it, she had no clue. She had lost sense of the things around her since that fateful parting. 

 Stupid dock. Full of splinters. They really needed to get that fixed. It was stabbing her hand like needles. She didn't know how Selphie could stand to sit on her bum all day on it. 

 "Kairi, what's wrong?" the younger girl asked, walking up to her from behind. The redhead pushed a stray lock out of her face and smiled lightly. 

 "Nothing Selphie. Why don't you go play with Tidus and Wakka?" Selphie pouted, waving her hands around in the air.

 "Tidus is being all showy again. He won't be quiet. And Wakka hasn't been sleeping that much, so he doesn't care. Have you seen the bags under his eyes? It looks like he's going to collapse!" Kairi nodded, noticing how the boy had gotten oddly sluggish. Was he thinking about what had happened too? He never told of where he had gone when their island disappeared. She had a feeling he didn't want to share.

 "Why don't you tell him to get some rest. You can take care of him for now, ok?" Kairi said half-mindedly. She really needed some time to herself. 

 "Ok!" and the brunette went off running, singing happily as she went.

  Kairi turned her attention back to they sky. _'I've been up there,'_ she thought. _'I've been everywhere. I'm sorry I can't remember. Oh, why did I have to have my heart taken away?!'_ Kairi felt extremely guilty about that. If she hadn't lost her heart, maybe Riku and Sora would still be here with her now. How she longed to see them. It yanked at her heart knowing that she would wake up everyday and they wouldn't be there. She missed their fights, their races, and all their petty arguments. She felt so lonely now, like her real friends were gone. And they were. The three of them had an intricate bond, that even now hadn't been broken. If only she knew that their companionship still remained. 

 "SORA!" she called out to the sky, as if he could hear her. But of course he couldn't. He would never hear her. He was probably off saving the worlds again, literally almost getting himself killed. Was he ok? And how about Riku? She knew he hadn't been evil. Just misdirected. 

 Why didn't Sora return with her? He had to act all brave and not jump on the forming island. I'll come back to you. Bullshit. 

 Kairi shook her head as the profane word entered her mind. Cid's language had kind of rubbed off on her while she had stayed with them. She realized that she really missed them. Especially Yuffie. She was so funny to talk too. Especially when the ninja had persuaded her to join her in some dares. Kairi would've never dreamed of dumping a bucket of sugar water and chewed muffins onto the Gummi dealer if it wasn't for Yuffie. 

 The redhead smiled at the thought. Yes, she really missed them. 

 Getting up, she walked back to her grandmother's house. She ran her hands across the heliotropes and hyacinths growing around the house as she walked through the ebony door. She could hear the light snores of her grandmother upstairs. 

 Walking over to the cupboard, she pulled out a plate and some quiche, and placed it into the microwave. (A/N: If they have something as technical logically advanced as Gummi Ships, I think they would have microwaves!!) She then sat down at the wooden table and silently thought. 

 A loud whirring noise reached her ears. What was that? But before she could ponder on it, the noise abruptly stopped. Shaking it off, Kairi walked over to the oven and took out her now warmed up quiche. She set them down on the table and opened the fridge, rummaging around for something to drink. 

 Wait. There was someone in the house. She could sense it. She wasn't exactly experienced in fending off burglars, but if they tried to hurt her Granny, would they get a slapping! No one messed with her and got away with it.

  Slowly, a hand began to crawl up her side. Kairi scrunched her eyebrows together, annoyed. They had some nerve trying to attack her after all she had been through. Not even a Heartless would've stopped her at this point.

  With a scream, Kairi grabbed the hand, and tried to dig her nails into it. She then silently kicked herself for doing so. Hopefully her grandmother wouldn't have heard, and would still be deep in slumber. Meanwhile, the hand yanked out of her weak grasp and grabbed at her sides again, this time running up and down with it's nails_. 'Agh!'_ she thought. Was this person crazy?

 Peals of laughter erupted from within her as the hands tickled her crazily. There were only two people who would ever dare such a conniving sneak-up.  The body got closer and Kairi almost fainted. That scent was unmistakable. Soft scented soap and a little of ocean air. Turning around, she looked into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. 

 "SORA!!" she screamed, throwing herself into his arms.  He let out a small 'whoa' as he wobbled around from the force of her body. He seemed even more muscular than before. "SORA!!"

 "Geez Kairi, calm down," Sora said with his trademark smile. Wasn't her gram sleeping up stairs? What was she thinking, screaming like a banshee? He could already feel Kairi's stubborn frown in his chest at his rebuke. He would be getting some lecture.

 "Calm down? You big klutz! You think I can calm down after all that's happened?" Sora shrugged. She was acting so uptight. _'Loosen up Kairi,'_ the brunette thought. _'I am here, after all.'_

 "You can try." Kairi eyed him, then smiled cheekily. So simple words, and yet he always had an overpowering effect on her. He wasn't Prince Charming, but he was the sweetest guy she had ever met. And that was certainly good enough for her.

 "Alright, you win," she giggled, giving in. There was no point in arguing with him now. If she did she would just end up laughing. It wasn't easy to be angry at Sora, especially with that goofy smile of his. 

 Kairi grabbed his hand and pushed him into a chair, setting the quiche on the table. She took out two sodas from the fridge and gave one to him. Taking a seat across from him, she watched him intently. She absorbed every detail, to from his soft brown hair, to his perfectly curved lips. God, he was gorgeous. Or at least in her eyes. To her, no other man would ever match the splendour that he held. His childish attitude and sunny outlook was just a cover-up for what he really was. A god. No wonder he was chosen as the Keyblade master.

  "Sora," she said after a long pause. Sora looked up from the food he was eating.

 "I saw the picture on the wall." Sora gave her a bewildered look.

 "What?"

 "The picture. Of…you and me. In the secret place. With the paopu fruits." 

 "Oh, yeah, that," Sora said with a slight blush. "I'm a pretty good artist, aren't I?" he joked. In reality, he really wanted Kairi to know that he loved her. He had yelled it to her as she disappeared within the mists of the returning planets, but he doubted she had heard him. He was really leaving himself out in the open, putting such on obvious mark where anyone could see it, but that was somewhat of the idea. He only hoped that Kairi would return the gesture. 

 "Very," Kairi said indulgently to his comment about his artistry.. "Umm….how did you get here anyways?" Sora shook his head lightly. He was surprised that she had taken that long to ask. He thought it would've been the first thing to come to her lips. Her very beautiful lips, he added with a grin.

 "The barriers didn't go back up for some reason. I got here by the Gummi Ship. Donald and Goofy are sleeping in there."

 "Oh," was all she replied. He said it with ease, as if it happened all the time. Did he not know that this was a big deal to her? Seeing him brought the most unending joy to her heart. 

 Sora watched Kairi as she fiddled with her hair and her clothing, as if nervous about something. He couldn't think of what. Was it because of the paopu drawing? He really meant it, just didn't know how to tell her. He didn't just want to say it, because it sounded so mundane. He wanted to do something original. And he had the perfect idea in mind.

 "Kairi, will you come back with me to Traverse Town?" Sora asked her. Kairi's face brightened considerably.

 "I'd love to. But why?" Sora tried to act as innocent as possible.

 "Well, I've missed you. And, I have a surprise there for you."

 "Really?"

 "Really really." Inside, he felt himself droop a little. When Kairi found out that Yuffie was gone, she would be so down hearted. He couldn't keep the fact from her, in all obviousness she would find out. Then another thought hit him.

 Sora  hadn't even told her that Riku was with them yet. Did she want to know? _'Of course she does,'_ he thought. _'He's her best friend too you know.' _Maybe that could be an additional surprise. If there was one thing that Sora had learned about being Kairi's friend, it was that she loved to be surprised. Although it was getting harder and harder to do so, because she was becoming more and more intuitive.

 "Come on let's go to Traverse Town," he said.

 "Right now?" Kairi asked, her eyes widening. "But..I'm not ready yet!!"

 "That's ok. Just grab a few clothing and we're set. Besides, there's plenty of stores at Traverse Town where you can buy clothes."

 "But I don't have money." Sora rolled his eyes. She was being so polite and innocent, as always. Just like me, he thought foolishly. He quickly added that to his secret list of why they were perfect for each other. Riku had only been joking when he had told him to do something like that, but after trying it, it was an actual good idea. Plus Kairi would love the idea of Sora thinking of her like that all the time.

 "I'll buy them for you."

 "But-"

 "No buts." Kairi sighed loudly, as if having just lost a huge argument. Again.

 "Ok, ok. I'll get my stuff." And she tromped up the stairs to pack.

 Sora could barely contain his glee. She was coming back with him. Maybe his life wasn't so cruel after all.

 About ten minutes later, Kairi came back down, and left a very long and wordy letter to her grandmother. Sora glanced at it, reading small snippets.

 "Hey," Kairi said, looking at him. "That's personal."

 "Anyone could read it," Sora threw back. Kairi punched his arm as they headed out toward the Gummi. 

 Sora helped her into the ship, where he took the controls and happily headed back to Traverse Town.

 ~*~*~*~

 "God! You'd think these imbeciles would have the decency to arrange these books in some sensible order!!" Cid cursed as he ran his eyes over the many volumes of books. Aerith sighed.

 "Cid, they are arranged in order," she stated without looking up from what she was doing. Cid just grumbled some more and continued to play with the books. 

 In another corner, was Squall. He had a book in his hands and was reading it intently. Turning his head to the left, he saw Aerith and Cloud exit quietly. Gods, what were they doing now? It wasn't exactly the best time to be dawdling. But whatever. What they did together was none of his business. Not that he cared either way anyways.  

 Placing the book back into its slot, he pulled out another, flipping erratically through the pages. The writers back then were really obtuse, because even Squall was getting bored staring at all the minute words. None of them had really anything interesting to say. They all talked about the same things, just in different words. It was a shame that all those philosophers toiled away for nothing. 

 "Hey, where are Aerith and Blondie?" Cid asked. Squall rolled his eyes.

 "Like I would know. They went somewhere."

 ~*~*~*~

 "Cloud, where are we going?" Aerith asked him as he dragged her along. He just squeezed her hand tighter, a vulpine look in his eyes. Aerith sighed. "This really isn't the time to be doing this," she continued. "Squall might get angry."

 "He's always angry. Besides, I'm hungry. We'll just tell him we went to get some food." 

 Aerith moaned. Geez, he was stubborn. She cast her eyes upon his opposite hand, the metal glinting in the sunlight. He still hadn't told her of how he had acquired it. Or of why he kept that stupid cape on, even in the sizzling heat. 

 "Clooouuudddd," she whined a little playfully. Cloud rolled his eyes. 

 "Whhaaatttt," he whined back, imitating her. Aerith slapped his arm, which made him emit a low chuckle. "Calm down. You're acting like Squall's gonna kill us when we get back."

 "That is a possibility."

 Cloud didn't answer. Every time she spoke, it was if she was holding back something. Was she still nervous around him, after all this time? Or was it his hideous appearance that scared her? He had to admit, the cape and artificial hand were very questionable. But she could find about that later. Now wasn't the time to be pondering on her strange attitude. He would just have to ask her once they got to his selected spot.

 Unfortunately, he had no idea where that would be. He hadn't been here in ages, and knew nothing of the location of anything. He had been so anxious to get out with her alone, that he hadn't paid any attention of where they would go. _'I'm an A class genius,'_ he grumbled silently. 

 "You've changed." Cloud glanced back at the fragile woman.

 "How so?" She covered her mouth with her hand, as if she was going to say something extremely funny, and was covering up her laughter. 

 "You aren't so grumpy anymore," she said, though playfully. She had her head tilted toward the sky, as if able to read her answer up there. "You used to be quiet and morose. You're so…nice now," she said, picking her words carefully so as not to say something to would sound offending. Cloud though, seemed to look as if it were all true.

 "I know. I have changed, because of you," he added. And it was true. If it wasn't for his discovery of her being in Hollow Bastion, he would still be a mercenary with a do-or-die deal with the god of the underworld. At the time, he had thought that the violent way was the _only_ way to find of what he was seeking. But apparently not. He had learned so after meeting the Keyblade master, Sora. That young teen had taught him that not everything had to be resolved through fighting and brute strength. It was because of that kid's determination that had gotten the blonde mercenary to begin a search for his beloved angel, his light. And now that he had found her, he refused to let go. 

 "You don't know where you are going do you, Cloud?" her dulcet voice broke through his thoughts. 

 "No," he said with a sheepish smile, fortunately hidden by his cape. He had been smiling a lot lately, something he hadn't done in years. But then again, finding the love of your life had that kind of effect on you. 

 He felt a tug on the edge of his cape, as the girl he had formerly been dragging, was now dragging him. She weaved them through the throng of people, as she hummed a poignant tune. It seemed her trepidation of being with him had worn off. And, thankfully, she knew where she was going. He silently promised her that their next outing, he would be the gentleman and whisk her away, not the other way around. It sounded foolish that the female was the one leading around, not the male. 

 "So madam, where are we going?" he asked, his accent making the pink-clad girl laugh. 

 "We have to work on your impersonations. And I can't tell you where we're going, or it won't be a surprise."

 "Surprise?" he asked bemusedly. "Excuse me, but I would appreciate it if you would tell me where we are headed, so I won't have to look like a fool when I have to pay up."

 "You are not paying."

 "Yes I am. Besides, if I don't, who will? I refuse to let you do so," he said sternly. 

 "You want to avoid looking gay, right?" Cripes, did she have to be straight forward? 

 "I would prefer not being perceived as gay, but that's not the reason."

 "Whatever you say Cloud," she said, trying to hold in her glee. It was so fun teasing him sometimes. He took things way too seriously. Which was why his reactions were so hilarious. It seemed that he had not been treated to such playfulness for some time, the way he gawked at all of them and stuttered over his words when they said something unreasonable. Like when Yuffie had told him that sex joke with all the vegetables in it,  he had blushed furiously and almost fell over himself trying to run away from the ending of the joke. 

 Her smile decreased slightly. _'Oh Yuffie, I pray you are alright,'_ she thought. Was she doing this because she believed none of them cared about her? Oh, if only they could make her see how much they all loved her. Each of them considered her as a special person. She was Cloud's little sister, Cid's niece, and sometimes the daughter he never had, and she was her best friend. Not to mention Sora and his companions felt the same way about her. And Squall…well Squall was one hard character to read. But Aerith had the premonition that maybe he thought of her as…a lover?

 Aerith shook the thoughts out of her head, but it didn't disappear. She had often observed them argue. It was no doubt that they usually enjoyed bickering with each other. Their reddened cheeks and sparked eyes told her enough. Yes, unknowingly, a small bond had formed between the ninja and the Gunblade wielder, which explained his morose temper. 

 "We're here," she announced, trying to drive the thoughts of Yuffie out of her mind. Thinking of the worst usually brought bad things upon the person of whom the thoughts were directed toward. 

 "It looks like a hotel," Cloud muttered.

 "That's because it used to be one. It couldn't stand up to the competition, so they shut it down. They had been planning to demolish it, but they didn't want to waste such artwork and beauty. So they reopened it as several restaurants." Cloud gazed up at the huge, archaic building. 

 "How many floors are there?"

 "Ten. But one of them holds an ice-skating center, so there's only nine floors of shops."

 "Only?" Cloud murmured albeit sarcastically under his breath, glancing at Aerith. But she was too entranced by the mall's beauty to notice. She clutched onto his arm, and ushered him inside. 

 Really, it was beautiful. A huge spiral ramp wound itself up the middle, so you could see all the way up to the top. The railing was made of copper, so bright that it looked exactly like gold. Each floor held it's own theme, like there was a children's floor, and men's floor, and a woman's floor. The rest was just random stores like book stores and pet shops. There was a food court on the second floor, he could easily tell by the smells. Aerith obviously noticed too, because she was walking them up the huge ramp, her head turning from side to side excitedly.

"See, you don't have to worry," Aerith said, oblivious to Cloud's thoughts. "It's fast food!" Cloud just nodded, tightening his hand around hers. The stares he was getting from onlookers was making him wholly uncomfortable. It seemed he was already causing a delirium in the building, having some people the nerve to point. They must come to believe he was some terrorist or something. He really gave that look. 

 "Ignore these asinine people," Aerith commanded him. Cloud just frowned behind his cape, watching the minute woman maneuver gracefully through the crowds of people. "They don't know you," she whispered quietly, more to herself than anything. And it was right. They didn't know Cloud. These people, with such vapid character and critical judging, would never understand the meaning behind their love. It didn't matter to her that he looked a little different. So what? He had gone through hell and back just to get her, and he bore the proof of it. 

 They quickly ordered their food, sitting themselves down at a secluded table. Leaning over, Cloud gently stroked Aerith's cheek, who moved in toward his touch. The tangible feeling of being with her was enough to make him ignore the haughty stares from the people around him. She grinned gently, and bent over the table to kiss him. Their lips were about to meet when a loud ring interrupted them. Cloud looked around, confused. Aerith blushed embarrassedly, and pulled out the walky-talky that Cid had given her so they could all stay together at the Coliseum. Cloud forced himself not to look disappointed as she turned it on, muttering a small hello into it.

 "AERITH!!! GET UR BUTT BACK 'ERE! SQUALL FIGURED OUT WHERE YUFFIE IS!!" Cid's voice boomed through the receptor, turning more heads toward their direction. Aerith said something into the walky-talky, before turning it off. She then looked apologetically at Cloud.

 "Cloud…I'm so sorry," she said, looking pleadingly into his eyes."

 "It's ok Aerith. Besides it's about Yuffie, so it's important to me too." Aerith nodded, albeit sadly. They packed up their food and left to return to the castle.

 ~*~*~*~

 Squall smirked, something he hadn't done in some time. He had finally figured out where Yuffie was. Yes, the information Riku had told them was complex with many hidden meanings, but it was easily understandable with the right materials. He flipped again through the astronomy book with which he had found the answer. It was right here, right under his nose, and he hadn't even realized it. 

 Looking up, he saw Aerith and Cloud entered, looking a bit flustered, like they had run the whole way here. And they probably had, judging on their windblown look. 

 "So?" Cloud asked, the question directed toward Squall. Squall didn't answer, just walked toward them, opening up the book. He then pointed to a small space on the book's map of the universe. It wasn't very surprising that their faces all showed one of bewilderment. 

 "There's nothing there," Luxina said. Squall shook his head.

 "There is. Or at least, that's where it's supposed to be." They all stared at it for a while longer.

 "Why this spot?" Cloud muttered obliviously. The Gunblade wielder let out a silent sigh. 

 "Because," he said. "It's between the darkness and the light." 

 "Damn, I get it," Cid muttered. It looked as if Squall was tired of explaining already, so he continued for him. "The darkness an' the light. Look there. It's between a warp hole and the sun. What's darker than a black hole? Nothing. The same goes for the sun. There's nothing brighter than it. So it's all simple logic."

 "Erm…" Sora said awkwardly in the doorway. The turned their heads to find Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy. "You found her?" the Keyblade Master assumed. 

 "Yeah, and you're not coming," Squall stated. He could already predict that Sora would start whining, but he was getting short of nerves. "It's safer that way. We told you before."

 So like before, Sora and his companions stayed in Hollow Bastion. The rest traveled to Sephiroth's hideout, in hopes of finding Yuffie. And they found her all right.

 Yuffie watched the Gummi ship land vaguely in the distance. Closing her eyes, she listened as the low hum of the engine faded away, and a clicking noise opened the hatch. So Sephiroth was right. They had come. She had highly doubted his words to be correct. Well, she was sure they weren't here to adulate her. They would be punished for their foolish blasphemy.

 She crouched lower, still in the same position as before, posted on the gargoyle. She waited patiently as she could hear their voices echoing around the corner, their footsteps nonchalantly ringing through the air. Didn't they know it was illicit deed to be walking around here without permission? She gave them a flagrant look underneath her hood as they approached her. She could already hear Luxina's whiny voice complaining up and down the way. 

 "Excuse me," Aerith yelled up, covering her hand over Luxina's mouth to shut her up. Yuffie didn't answer, just watched the obtrusive group to see what they would do. They did nothing, as if lost and having no way out. Maybe a little fear would get them moving. They weren't as tenable as they thought they were.

 Raising her head, she let out a lupine howl, as her call dropped down beneath her, and lingered highly in the air. Yes, they had become slightly shaken. Oh goody, maybe she would just go Lucifer on them and kill them all now.

 "What's with that one?" Cid muttered, looking up at the yowling figure. Was she the guardian or something? It gave that look. Or she was just some person kneeling on a gargoyle and howling for no good reason. But either way, their trepidation was starting to build. The figure had stood up now, and had faced them. Metal winked at them in the setting sun, the headgear coving up her face. 

 Yuffie slowly lifted her hand around her face, and threw back the hood. She may have had a huge metal accessory on her head, but she was still easily recognizable. Her heart palpitated fiercely as all their faces showed ones of recognition. 

 "Yuffie?!" Aerith screamed. She then smiled joyously. "Yuffie you're alright! Get down from there! You might get hurt."

 "Yuffie," Squall called out. His face showed slight remorse. "What's on your head?"

 "A headgear," she stated obviously. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and monotony. 

 "Yuffie, get down," Cloud yelled up at her.

 "No."

 "What?" They all said at the same time. But Yuffie jumped down anyways, despite her rebellion to do so. How can she disembowel them from up there?

 "Ever wonder what it's like to die?" she asked them, brandishing her shruikens. 

 "W-we all thing of that sometimes," Aerith said. "But it's not something that we would ever want to do." The teen's words were scaring her. What was she doing, talking about death? She never did such things. Last time she checked, Yuffie was terrified to die too.

 "I'm dead," Yuffie murmured. She then cast a haunting glare on them. "But you're not."

 "No, Yuffie, no we're not. And neither are you," Squall said to her, trying to soothe her. His words had usually calmed her in the past, but it just seemed to distraught her. 

 "I wish you were dead…you'll all die for what you did to me!" she said, running her hands along the shruikens edges, drawing forth blood upon her fingers. Then as quick as lightning, she shot all twelve of her shruikens out, aiming each at her former friends. _'They will die.'  _They would not live to get out of this place, she vowed that.

 A/N: Sorry about that. I decided to focus on the other couples mainly. God, this chapter was such a bitch. After going through several drafts of it, I was about to die. I still don't think it's good, but I have no time to make another one. My finals are tomorrow, and I wanted to get this out before they started. . This fic has been totally devoid of Yuffie and Squall romance, even though I said they were the main coupling. So I swear to GOD (or Satan, or Kami, or whoever you chose) that there will be romance in the next chapter between them.


	7. Bare and Burning

 Finding Your Heart

 Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters.

 Chapter Seven

 Bare and Burning

 A/N: I am going to get straight to the point. I want to know if this story should have a lemon in it. I got a request for that, and although I think it's a good idea, I want to hear some more opinions too. So tell me please. And thank all of you that have reviewed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Yuffie watched with sadistic pleasure as they all scattered and dodge away from her oncoming attack. _'Impetere,'_ she thought belligerently. So much fun to see them scamper away like a bunch of worthless rats. They had just made themselves vulnerable, now that they were all separated. It had been better if they had stayed coagulated, but then that would seal their fate, now wouldn't it? So she would repudiate them one by one, casting her vindictive aversion upon her former "friends."

 Hm…which one first? They all had their own personal traits that she would love to beleaguer them with. If they thought that her attitude was atypical, they would soon be put into a shock once she fell one of them. She would leave no remnants of this day. The ire she would bestow would she heard of from no one. All the witnesses would be lying stone cold under her feet. _'There,'_ she thought imperviously. 

 The agile ninja sped toward Luxina, her close-to-most-hated enemy. Truth be told, she had abhorred this stupid woman even after her confession of her past. She had no reason to pity this twenty three year old female who flaunted herself to every man available. How she had managed to squeeze herself into their group would forever be a mystery to her. Luxina deserved nothing, for she had given nothing.

 Her target was true, her aim prefect, but she never got within seven feet of the older woman because Squall jumped in front of her and swung the Gunblade, making the ninja dodge backwards at last minute. Yuffie's eyes narrowed. Truly, he had acted without thinking. He would pay for his fatal error. She didn't see the point of protecting some bitch. But that was his choice. He had just pushed himself to the top of the line to be killed. 

 But seeing his determined look made nebulous fog shroud her mind. Just seeing him standing there, ready for her onslaught, made her insides writhe. He was so strong, so stable. If only, at least once, she could see him collapse with pain, or at least to cry. For the sixteen years that she had known him, he had been the perfect example of apathy. Maybe she could enjoy this after all. 

 Yuffie watched them all shift through the reddened eye sockets, the color oddly distorting her view. She noticed a gothic-like balcony off to her left; it's railings overhanging with overgrown vines. Not even bothering to hold eye contact with them, she vaulted onto it, knocking shreds of the greenish plant as she brushed up against it. Giving Squall an asinine glare, she ran inside the building, leaving the door open for easy access. The man would have to follow her if he had any hopes of getting her back. That of which he seemed pretty intent on doing. 

 "Squall…" Cloud said as Squall jumped onto the balcony after her. His plan was to just get in, grab her, and get out. He wasn't in the best of moods to be playing one of her childish games at this point. 

 "Just stay there," the brunette yelled down at them.

 "Squall," Cloud said again, his consternation showing. He refused to sit by and let the older man do all the work when he was perfectly capable of fighting too. Squall wasn't the only one with a fight to pick with Sephiroth. 

 But the Gunblade wielder just shook his head at the blond, his mane throwing itself from side to side. If something happened, Cloud needed to get the four of them out of there. 

 "I need you with them," he said, starting to get exasperated. Cloud's companionship was admirable, but it could be nerve straining at times. Cloud gave him an incomprehensive look, but finally backed down. He didn't have to say anything; Squall could read his eyes easy enough.

 "Listen to Cloud," Squall commanded them, before disappearing into the building. Their pale faces all nodded, still shaken up from the reappearance of Yuffie. She hadn't been what they had expected. Sephiroth really did a number on her. Albeit, she was pretty easy for the taking, despite her loud and stubborn nature, she was really weak if put on her own. Is that why Sephiroth had wanted her? It would be anyone's selected choice to pick out the most venal of a group, that one mainly being Yuffie. It was _always_ like that. The defenseless were left to fend for themselves, and then taken out, leaving only the strong to survive. As for Yuffie, was she to befall the same fate? To become just part of their fading memories, just like so many others before them? 

 Each of them had all made promises, whether to last a lifetime or only an ethereal moment of their lives. Most of them had failed, all had forgotten. It hadn't been their choice for this to happen. Fate had a way of dealing the cards so that you never knew what you would get, whether lose it all or go home with the lot. But then, life rarely had a full deck of cards to begin with.

 "Where are you Yuffie," Squall muttered as he walked through the dimly lit hallway. He had a headache pounding at his head. Who in the right mind painted these doors like Gay Pride? It was blinding him to the point of insanity. There were some real weirdoes in the world to make something as magnificent and gallant as this castle as ugly as a child's playpen by defiling it with _those _colors. 

 There was no obtrusive clue as to where she went. She just had to be a ninja. Of all times for her to cover up her tracks, now was the least appropriate moment. He had always believed that Yuffie had a mind of her own, that she did what she wanted. And in a sense she did, for a while. But she was also quick to follow, given the right circumstances. Squall quickly reminded himself that he would have to indulge in her originality more than he had to prevent this from happening again.  

 A strident squeal was heard as one of the doors up ahead flew open, and a shadow of a figure ran across the door before disappearing. There she was. She was being quite obvious. But that just meant that there was a catch. No one made themselves be seen unless they were extremely confident or wholly stupid. He guessed it was the former.

 He ran toward the door, the Gunblade still resting on his shoulder. He hefted it carefully as he entered the room, only to be greeted with darkness. His echoing footsteps told enough that the room was larger than he perceived. So unlike to hide in the shadows, despite being from a long line of ninja, which of whom reveled in concealing themselves in the dark. Supposedly, if his memory served right, the young shinobi had admitted she was actually _scared_ of the darkness. 

 "YUFFIE!" he yelled out, the words just bouncing painfully back to him. He had always been her docent, and now it was like she was being his. Teaching him a lesson. Except this was a lesson he'd prefer not knowing. His calls received no reply, making him onerous and distraught. Surprisingly, the Gunblade was starting to impose muscular pain upon his shoulder, something that had never happened before. 

 There was something off with this room. Like it had some kind of inducement effects on the inhabitants of it. Suddenly, a benign voice, filled with false sweetness, enclosed him.

 "You're going to die," Yuffie said, as she wrapped here thin hands around his neck from behind. _'Where did she come from?'_ Squall thought, frustrated. _'I didn't even sense her.'_ "Even if I have to go down with you." On the contrary, most people would've found that rather romantic. But under the circumstances, it was like a last testament. She let out a peal of cruel laughter as she squeezed his neck as hard as she could, imagining it breaking off any second. Of course it wouldn't just fall off, but having him die of suffocation was good enough for illicit mind.

 "Yuffie…" he gasped out. He didn't want to hurt her. He really didn't. Maybe he could get her unconscious without doing any real damage. Although that seemed highly unlikely since she was hell-bent on making him cease to walk on the face of the planet. She had taken on a war-like demeanor, so atypical of her. 

 With extreme timing, Squall swung the Gunblade sideways so the blunt end roughly jabbed her, causing her to lighten her grip slightly as she stumbled to one side. Quickly dropping the Gunblade, he twisted around and grabbed both her wrists in one hand, while fighting to pull off the headgear with the other. She let out a shrill scream as the headgear started to climb up her face, almost revealing her eyes. _'No!'_ she thought desperately. _'I am not going to become weak! Not again!'_ She started to vociferate wildly, moving around like a distraught dancer.

 Squall saw it out of the corner of his eye. It glinted maliciously, the smooth surface of it promising definite pain. Yuffie smirked as she pulled out the small dagger, embedding it cruelly into Squalls side. His eyes closed, his face contracted, fighting the impetuous urge to hit her. This wasn't going well. It then entered his mind that she had released her wrists from his grip without him even realizing it. No one wonder Sephiroth wanted her. She was extremely dangerous when set upon a violent road of misled trust. 

 Yuffie smirked, ripping the blood covered blade out of his wounded side. She then swung up her leg, kicking his bellow his waist….hard. He doubled over, making a groaning sound in the process. Blood oozed out of the slash in his side, tainting his white shirt with crimson. 

  She picked up the Gunblade, and lifted it above her head, ready to bring it down on the man beneath her. But the weight of the weapon caused her to lose her grip, and Squall grabbed it back from her, knocking her in the head with its hilt. Of course, the gear protected her, and it only made a loud panging sound that made her brain rattle. She stumbled back yet again, but thankfully caught her footing before she fell and left herself open.

 Squall again threw the Gunblade to the ground, far enough so that she couldn't grab it if she decided the slam his baggage again. Just to keep safe, he tackled her to the ground, putting his full weight on her. She yelled and cursed wildly, trying to shove him off. He made a point to ignore her. He wrapped his legs around hers, and held her hands down with his elbows. His blood spilled onto her own body, making her vociferate more. Again he ignored her violent beseeches. Biting his lip, he yanked off the headgear, right as she dug her nails deep into his skin, drawing blood. 

 "Yuffie…" he ground out. "STOP IT." 

 "NOOOOO!!!!" she screamed loudly back at him, making him flinch. She was howling like no tomorrow now, the headgear having been removed. She tried to grab it but the towering man above her held down her hand. "GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!!!" Squall narrowed his eyes at her, trying to think of a way to shut her up. "OFF OFF OFF!!! BASTARD GET YOUR FAT ASS OFF OF ME!! I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOOOUUUU!!" she continued ranting until Squall couldn't take it anymore. There were a lot of people in the world who had a lost of patience, and this scenario wouldn't have effected them in the least. Squall was not one of those people.

  Tightening his grip on her tiny wrists, he leaned in closer, staring at her clenched eyes, watching her mouth move and spew out obscenities. Her depraved mind had gone far past what Cid could ever handle. Once she was back, Squall would find a suitable punishment for her inflictions. Then, without warning, he twisted his head and captured her lips with his own, managing to keep her in a ground breaking silence, if only for a second. But it didn't matter. Time seemed to freeze as he felt her lips upon his own for the first time. She had surprisingly benign lips, despite the fact that he always caught her biting at them. 

 A tender kiss…_'So much for keeping your eyes closed,'_ he thought as the girl under him glared at him vivaciously. He just glared back, almost having to bite her lips to keep them on his own. Whether she enjoyed their little prelude or not, he had no idea. And he would never get the chance to. The moment of silence was short lived as she threw her head to the side and started to howl again.

 "Yuffie will you just shut up for a second?" he demanded. She thrashed against him wildly, not paying attention to his words. "Die die die die die die die die die die die…….IF YOUR NASTY BLOOD GETS IN MY MOUTH I WILL KILL YOU…" she muttered angrily into his chest as he laid his body fully on her. He would stay there all day if that was what it would take for her to calm down. Besides it was amusing seeing her try and plot his demise, particularly right into his chest. She was probably the worst mercenary he had ever seen. 

 "Cooled off yet?" he asked after a while, when she had finally become silent. As if remembering her myriads of anger, she started to move under him, as if he was planning to get off any time soon. 

 "Squall…" she said slowly.

 "What?" he asked, as if already knowing the answer.

 "GET OFF OF ME!!"

 "No."

 "Have you sunk that low that you're going to force yourself upon her, Squall?" Sephiroth asked from the doorway. Squall's head snapped up like a loaded gun. The silver haired man was leaning casually on the doorframe, as if he saw this everyday. Squall let a primal growl rise to his throat as he gazed upon the man of his aversion and loathing. Looking down at Yuffie, he realized that she didn't seem bothered by this. She actually seemed relieved to see him. Sephiroth really had brainwashed her. 

 He walked over to the Gunblade, picking it up with ease. "Get off of her," he said slowly, examining the weapon. "Or…" he walked over to the two and placed the tip of the Gunblade at Yuffie's head. "Or you'll have to carry her home in two pieces." 

 "Bastard," Squall snapped at him, not bothering to cover up his hatred. As much as he would've loved to scorn the man's orders, he also wished for Yuffie's safety, no matter how much she wanted him dead. So as to protect the young woman, he got off of her, making sure Sephiroth would indeed keep his word. 

 And he did. Squall silently wished that he hadn't, so he would have a free reason to just kill him. It seemed that everyone was taking advantage of Yuffie's naivety. 

 Yuffie was silently crying inside. Sobbing really. Why why why? Her mind demanded her. Her brain was asking her questions she didn't have the answer to, and it was paining her. This man, who she was taught on impetuous hatred to kill, had just saved her life. She had been told that he despised her as much as she did him. Then why?

 Sephiroth took the headgear off of the floor, slipping it a little harder than necessary over Yuffie's face. But just before it masked her hazel eyes completely, Squall caught a glimpse of her expression. She looked confused…and scared. Her eyes seemed to be crying out to him, beseeching to be rescued from the fiery torment of hell that had her obscured in it's demonic vision. But her somewhat lovelorn look quickly disappeared into nothingness as the metallic protection once again created a vapid façade to protect her from the outer forces. 

 "You're friends are in the dungeons, awaiting your pleasant arrival," Sephiroth said flagrantly. He had the Gunblade in hand, a vice grip on Yuffie's arm in the other. Yuffie hung in his hold like a rag doll. He nodded behind Squall, and before he knew it, two large, black hands wrapped themselves around his taunt arms. "Take him away," Sephiroth nodded, before dragging a helpless Yuffie with him out of a secret passage that he triggered by pushing a brick in the wall. Squall let out peals of curses, but it was all in vain. They were gone, and he and his comrades had been captured. Maybe Sora would be in need after all.

 He was violently dragged along the corridors, by, surprisingly, two Large Bodies. Lucifer, how he hated those. And how he was being pulled around by not one, but two of them. The fact that they were Heartless briefly entered his mind. So the Heartless still existed. He highly doubted they would ever be rid of them. It was their punishment for becoming to greedy and well…heartless.

 Another thought entered his mind. How the hell would they get out of here? Heartless didn't exactly talk, so they couldn't manipulate themselves out. And the tangible feeling that Sephiroth probably had eyes all over the castle was very obtrusive. It was blasphemous to think that they could get out undetected. 

 "Stupid bastards," Squall muttered as one of the Large Bodies made too sharp of a turn and smashed both him and his captor into the oncoming wall. Seriously, these creatures were Heartless, but they were also very well brainless. Unfortunately, it also bounced them all back, thanks to his overly large stomach full of lard. Or whatever this Heartless had packed down there. 

 After a few more demonstrations of the Large Bodies great mind abilities, and a few futile escapes from Squall, they finally reached the cells. Squall was roughly thrown into the nearest one, the Heartless locking up the bars with a black, rusted key. They then waddled away, taking the keys with them. 

 More Heartless roamed down here, most likely watching the captors, it was mainly the soldier Heartless, with a few pirate Heartless there to keep guard. Whooshing sounds from above told that there were flying ones too, probably wyverns. Sephiroth really had this place guarded. The only question was how did he get the Heartless to obey him? It something to ruminate on, but Squall didn't have the time or the patience. Yuffie needed to be rescued. That look in her eyes…he couldn't get it out of his head. It was like she didn't want to be controlled by Sephiroth anymore, like she just wanted to return to them and forget about the whole thing. 

 "HEY!! IS THAT YOU SQUALL?!?" Cid's voice yelled down the stagnant corridor. All the Heartless skittered around for a second at the sudden noise, but calmed down amazingly fast after that, since they had no idea what they were saying. 

 "Yeah," Squall said in a normal tone, not having to energy to yell. He wasn't much of a yelling person anyways. Besides, his side was killing him. He had bled so much that the crimson liquid had made a trail almost covering his shoes. 

 "We're all in different cells," Aerith dulcet voice said quietly. It sounded vaguely like she had been crying. Where was Cloud? He hadn't said anything, something unusually odd since he got most talkative when they were in danger. 

 "Yuffie needs our help," Squall said, not realizing that it was much more than just words. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 _Long lost words whisper slowly to me_

_Still can't find what keeps me here_

_When all this time I've been so hollow inside_

I know you're still there 

 Yuffie watched nervously as Sephiroth paced the room, his long, silver mane billowing out angrily behind him. His serpentine eyes were cast upon her, demeaning her under his gaze.

 "I told you not to take off the gear," he said placidly, examining the designs on the base of his glove. Of course he was only acting. He was probably fuming at the young ninja that she hadn't given up that much of a fight.

 "But-" she was cut off as he glared daggers at her. _'It wasn't my fault,'_ she finished in her mind. She clamped her mouth shut, fiddling with her hair in trepid motions. How she would do anything to escape to a euphoric state of bliss and get away from the horrors of being with a man who was deemed a mass murderer. 

 She longed to tell him how she felt, but that was almost impossible. He was in an extremely sour mood, his hellacious temper coming off in dark auras. It was in great contrast to what he was normally like, which was stoic and morose, from the time being that she had been with him. She could take a wild guess at whom he was angry at, and she would probably hit the bull's eye. It was her. 

 "You said you weren't going to kill me," she argued suddenly. Sephiroth stopped from making a grove in the floor and stared at her. 

 "It was just something to piss him off," he said, slowly reverting back to his normally state. "He wouldn't never gotten off of you if I hadn't put your life on the line."

 "He…" she trailed off, her face unreadable due to the metal covering. Sephiroth watched her tepidly, not really paying any attention to her little ruminations to herself. "He agreed to get off to save me…even though I wanted him dead," she whispered so quietly, that she could barely even hear herself. As she said it, tears of remorse dripped down her face, making the metal mask feel wet and uncomfortable. She was such an idiot. Squall _did_ care about her, and she had just been denying it because she was angry. Now she wished she had stayed with him back there, ran into his arms, stopped the Heartless, fought Sephiroth, _anything_ to show him she felt sorry for her choice. He might die tonight, and he would never know, none of them would, how much regret weighed leaden upon her dying heart. 

 "What would you have done if he hadn't gotten off?" she demanded, the drug making it harder to coerce her anger and betrayal.

 "I tend to not think of things that have gone and passed," he said indifferently. He really didn't care. But to Yuffie, it was just another way of saying, "Yes, I would've killed you if that's what it would have taken." 

 Scrunching her eyebrows in determination, she decided she would tell Sephiroth. Tell him she refused to be controlled, that she had a mind of her own too. She refused to be used as his little toy, his pawn. She would not be put down without a fight, she would make sure of that.

 "Sephiroth," she said boldly, albeit her voice slightly faltered at the end. She inhaled sharply as he watched her with glowing eyes, as if daring her to defy him. "I-I don't want to help you anymore," she said quickly, but made note to accentuate every word. Her voice quivered, wildly, making her sound babyish.  Sephiroth looked surprisingly impervious, which made Yuffie feel slightly taken back. He wasn't bothered? That wasn't the reaction she had expected. How could she come back with vengeance if he didn't even care? Although it was very atypical of him to be vapid about her rebellion.

 "Yuffie…" he whispered suddenly, as he looked toward the ground, his hair masking his expression. There was something in his voice, his tone, she didn't trust it. "You're a virgin right?" A shiver ran down the shinobi's spine. Her trepidation quickly kicked in, putting her on overdrive. Why was he asking that? _'Oh God,'_ Yuffie thought, fear taking over so much that she thought she was going to become unconscious. _'Please don't let him be thinking what I think he's thinking.'_

_Watching me wanting me_

_I can feel you pull me down_

_Fearing you loving you_

I won't let you pull me down 

 She didn't answer, just stared nervously at him. She wanted to die. Just die right then and there. It was better than seeing what he had planned to do to her. She desperately wanted to be with her friends at the moment, safe and sound in her bed, with Squall right there to comfort her, like he always was when she had nightmares. That had been partially the reason why they had shared a hotel room in the first place. But he wasn't here now. And the worst part about it was that this wasn't a nightmare, it was reality. Which made her fear so much more surreal. 

 _'Leave me alone,'_ she silently pleaded. _'Let this just be some joke you're playing on me.'_ Her mind begged him silently over and over again, praying that his own psychosomatic thoughts would not be made real. But Sephiroth never joked. Never. He toyed with his opponents, but never really _joked_ with them, just to get a kick out of them. 

 His head suddenly shot up, and she didn't like what she saw. His eyes were filled with violent blood lust, his face one of pure menace. She longed for this to all be some verisimilitude of hers, something that she was imagining. Like any moment she would awaken from the long horrible dream, and she would be back in Hollow Bastion, all happy and cozy with her friends. No luck. She was going to lose something this night, and she was absolutely sure that she knew what it was.  

  He moved toward her slowly, and it wasn't until he was at the foot of the bed that her instincts finally reacted.

 She screamed as loud as she was able, grappling off the bed right as Sephiroth dove for her, grabbing her foot. She screamed some more, kicking out her foot wildly in an attempt to dislodge it from her grip. Was he going crazy? When had he gotten so aroused?! 

 "HEELLLLPPPPP MMMEEEEE!!!!" she screamed like a banshee as he grabbed one of her flailing arms, throwing her on the bed. She was howling, sobbing, and heaving and she was as scared as hell. He was going to rape her. Sephiroth was going to rape her. The thought ran over and over in her head until it was forever embedded into her memory. How was she supposed to go on living? SHE WAS BEING RAPED.

 He forcefully tore off her headgear, revealing her reddened brown eyes. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with forming sweat, as she continued to cry loudly. He discarded her garments like they were nothing, leaving her feeling bare, terrified, and violated. 

 "STOP!!" she yelled. "SSSTTTOOPPP!!!" she went an octave higher in her pleas. No one was coming. Even if they did care, there was no way they would be able to break out of the dungeons in time. The thought that she was being raped with no one to be her knight in shining armor tore at her heart.

 Speaking of tearing….her clothes lay ripped on the floor. Sephiroth was already taking off his pants, so Yuffie took this time to try to make her last escape. With her last ounce of energy, she forcefully grabbed his hair and yanked, with flailing her legs forcefully out, kicking him in any spot possible. He growled in obvious pain, and grabbed her wrists, twisting them painfully hard. The white electric that shot up her arm made her want to cry out in agony, which she did. Her pallid skin felt cold and clammy, but not _all _of her. Despite the fact that she didn't want this at all, her body couldn't deny another. That was the nature of humans. Sephiroth seemed to notice this too because he forced her into the bed, her body practically sinking into the mattress. 

 "They're going to kill you once I tell them what you did," she screamed as loudly as she could into his obviously close ear. She quickly regretted screaming though, as Sephiroth found a remedy for that by fiercely kissing her. Now she couldn't make any noise. But she wasn't giving up. She said thrashing around as wildly as possible, but it didn't help any. He was too heavy…too strong. 

Hunting you I can smell you-Alive Your heart pounding in my head 

 Yuffie Kisaragi would, in all her life, remember the pain she felt at that moment as he took her. The moment that her virginity was taken from her unwillingly into the arms of a man she hated. How he dissipated her innocence, destroyed the one thing that she held proud to have. Now she really was used goods. No one would want her now. 

 Life had many bumps, but she had reached a total wall. She couldn't get over it, she couldn't go around it. It would always be there. A haunting memory of the wrong choice she had made. If only she had said no. Refused his offer. She could've been in the dungeons right now, still in a safe haven with them. But no. She was here. In hell. 

 He drove her roughly, and she cried tears of shame and painfully agony, waves of sadness coming in a never-ending stream. She wanted to escape this place. Closing her eyes and trying to forget her horror, she pictured something else. She pictured a meadow filled with delphiniums and verbenas. She pictured all of her friends, Aerith, Cloud, Squall, Luxina, and her parents, all of them there together. Having a picnic. With all the beauty laid out before her. But it soon disappeared, and she was forced back into painful reality. With a final scream, she succumbed to the sweet darkness, drifting swiftly into unconsciousness. 

 Yuffie, the Greatest Female Ninja in the World, had been broken. 

 __

_ Watching you Wanting me_

_I can feel you pull me down_

_Saving me Raping me_

_Watching me_

~*~*~*~*~*~

 "Yuffie," Squall whispered painfully. Why was her voice so loud in his mind? He could hear her clearly, her screams and pleas falling upon his ears like gongs. Why didn't anyone else seem to hear it? It was if only he was meant to hear her agony, to experience her pain with her. He held a sense of what was happening to her. And it put the most profound rage in his heart. 

 Her voice, it wouldn't leave him. She sounded so antagonized. Clutching his head, he stumbled over to the bars of the cell. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to help her. Come hell or high water, he would get her out of there. He knew it was too late now to save her maidenhead, but it wasn't too late to save her. 

 How could Sephiroth think of doing such a thing? She was only sixteen! She didn't deserve to be put through such hell and back. He had manipulated her into something unrecognizable, then when she realizes her error, he brings her down by raping her. He truly was evil.

 Her dulcet voice still sobbing in his mind, he stood back from the metal door, and roughly slammed his foot against it. It made a loud creaking noise as the rusted hinges started to crack. The Heartless instantly noticed this, and one Wyvern instantly flew up and started to claw at him with its talons. Squall glared angrily at it, and punched it right in the eye. It made a screeching noise, rearing up and slamming itself against the bars. But that just helped Squall, as the hinges broke off of the door due to the Wyverns great weight. 

 Squall kick the metal barred door off, kicking the wyvern square in the jaw. It yowled some more, and one more hit from Squall's gloved fist sent it flying against all wall and disappearing in a cloud of billowing black magic. More Heartless already surrounded him, including those irritating Large Bodies. 

 "GO KID!!" Cid yelled suddenly. "WE'LL DIVERT 'EM!! GO GET YUFFIE!!!" Squall nodded, and he shoved the Heartless out of the way, knocking one of the Large Bodies hard. It lost its balance and fell on the other screeching Heartless, it's huge form crushing them. Stupid creatures.

 He ran up the stairs at break neck speed, almost falling due to the slime covering the steps. Soon he found himself in the all-familiar hallway of the rainbow-ed doors. Once again he was in a frantic loss. Now he had no lead as to where she was. It wasn't like there were going to be huge neon signs that said 'YUFFIE IS THIS WAY' with a blinking arrow across them. Although that would've been quite useful.

 He quickly decided that he would just have to check every door there was. It was the only way. Checking only the ones that looked most logical was pointless, she could be in a closet for all he knew. So he twisted every knob, banging on the doors that refused to open. He also intervened his actions by screaming "YUFFIE!" up and down the halls, just in case she might decide to answer. It soon became quite aggravating though once he had reached the last door and she wasn't there.

 Squall Leonhart was on the brink of giving up when a ghostly voice came drifting down the hall, gracing his ears like a gunshot. Someone was singing. And he had a close feeling that it was the ninja he was looking for. (A/N: This isn't the same song as the one used in the Yuffie and Sephiroth scene, just so you won't confuse the lyrics. Oh and, this isn't the song that Yuffie is singing.)

 _How can you see into my eyes like open doors_

_Leading you down into my core_

_Where I've become so numb without a soul_

_My spirit sleeping somewhere cold_

Until you find it there and lead me back home 

 Praying that she would hold the tune long enough for him to track it down, he silently ran across the hallway, following it to a firm wall. _'Well of course the wall is firm, idiot.'_ He thought grimly to himself. This whole ordeal was slowing gnawing away at his mentality.

 Pressing his ear against the carved stone, he tried vainly to listen to the chant, but it only seemed to fade. She was ending the song, and for some reason Squall had a feeling that she wasn't supposed to. If her voice faded into nothingness, he would have no chance of finding her. Thinking rapidly, he pummeled his fists violently against the wall, screaming for her.

 It seemed she heard it, because her dulcet voice suddenly grew so strong and loud he thought the windows would shatter from the intensity. He noticed something else too. Her voice was shaking. Did she think that he was Sephiroth? Maybe. But he didn't have time to console her with his mind at the moment. He needed to get past this damn wall, and by gods, he _would_ do it. 

 He remembered blankly that, before being dragged away by the two Heartless fatties, Sephiroth had pushed a block within the wall to reveal a secret passageway. It was by a long shot, but the brunette started pushing every stone along the wall anyways. 

 _Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_Bid my blood to run before I come undone_

Save me from the nothing I've become 

 Secret passageways. What was this, some kind of play place? Only a madman would create such a place, revel in the deepening irony. The castle, surrounded by the most uncomprehending dangers, held the nature and air of a child's room. It was down right blasphemy, especially considering the fact that it was most likely the main center of torture. 

 A graveling sound answered his silent pleadings as the smooth marble beneath his hands drew inward, revealing a sliding wall to his right. Not caring that he was making enough noise to wake the dead, he rushed up the spiraling stairway, the music becoming deafeningly loudly to his benign ears. He was so entranced with the lead of the stairs and the tune of the song that he failed to notice the pathway brutally ending, causing him to have to throw his arms up at last minute to save him from the collision course set for the pallid wall. 

 "Oh goddamn," he muttered profanely as he leaned himself into the marble face, which was whining in angry protest at his obtrusiveness. But it eventually budged, giving him enough space between the wall and the barely open stone door to placidly place his gloved hands between them and shove the rest of it open. Thus he stepped out into the hallway, beginning another infernal search for his ninja.

 Not once during his searching did he stop to think upon the fact that he had been thinking of Yuffie as _his_. It didn't occur to him to ruminate over such a petty name, which could've passed for any plausible reason. All he could think about was where she was, if she was really hurt or not. For some reason it disturbed him deeply to have her in some kind of mortal danger. Which was worse, he didn't know why, and that disturbed his mind even more to the point of utter confusion. 

 "Where are you…" he whispered, right as he opened a particularly huge alabaster door, golden carvings embracing the edges of it. One look inside of the finely ravished room made him almost kneel over in shock.

 Curled up one the dark linen bed, wrapped thoroughly in the ebony sheets, was a very callous looking Yuffie. Her creamy brown eyes no longer held that uplifting spark, but had this blank sort of look, with her pupils dilated as so much that she didn't even look like she had any. Tears flowed endlessly from them, seemingly unbeknownst to their owner. The ninja herself was rocking back and forth, singing the song quietly only to herself now. Her movements were jerky and miserable, like the madmen that were imprisoned in the mental asylums. 

 Squall voice seemed jammed in his throat. What had happened to her? She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. No scratch that, she looked like a deer that knew it was about to _die._ Her eyes were swollen and red, her lips looking bruised and trembling. He vaguely remembered where he had seen lips like that. It was after Cloud and Aerith had…

 Oh god. Oh god. How could he be so freaking stupid!? Looking at the floor, he eyed the tattered remains of Yuffie's clothing with horror. How could he not notice that!? He forced his face to return stoic before his emotions got out of hand. Yuffie was already in a state of delusion, and seeing him wierding out too wouldn't help her in the least. Besides, he wasn't really sure _that_ had happened to her, but for some reason his instincts stood their ground and kept persisting.

 "Yuffie," he whispered softly as he walked over to her shivering figure. She was no longer singing her little tune. Her eyes showed no indication that she acknowledged his presence, but he could feel that she knew he was there. "Yuffie," he said again, louder this time. She said nothing, and made no notion to move. Squall sighed internally. He couldn't get her to tell him what happened if she wouldn't even respond to his interrogations. 

_ 'Maybe she's heard 'Yuffie' too many times. She probably wants to hear YOUR name, idiot!'  _Squall growled at the obvious statement, slightly annoyed that even his conscience was hen pecking him with names. But now wasn't the time to be fighting his "inner demons" as Cloud usually stated it as. 

 "Yuffie, it's me Squall. Squall Leonhart. Remember?" she didn't respond, but he noticed that her eyes shifted slightly, glancing briefly toward his direction. Thinking of other means of provoking, he seated himself on the bed right next to her, purposely placing himself close enough for her to feel his body's warmth. "I got angry whenever you called me Squall. I kept insisting that you call me Leon. But…" he was contemplating on what to say. He wasn't really focused on just getting her to say something anymore, he was thinking more about HER as a person. How he had always reprimanded her at the slightest slip-up, and yelling at her to act her age. He would imagine that someone who was the perfect definition of childishness, wouldn't appreciate being told to grow-up. "But I have given up. I-I can't make you call me something I'm not. And I don't blame you. I was trying to make you respond to a stranger, when you just wanted to hang on to Squall. So…I'm not angry with you…Yuffie." 

 _Now that I know what I'm without_

_You can't just leave me_

_Breathe into me and make me real_

_Bring me to life_

 He knew he was started to ramble on like an idiot, but it seemed when ever he got a bit chatty, he had a tendency to just keep going. "I should've told you about Luxina in person. It's my fault you two got into a fight and took it to the coliseum. If I had stopped her actions…" Squall couldn't finish the sentence. Because he felt as if it was his fault. If he HAD stopped Luxina, then they wouldn't have gone to the coliseum. And if they hadn't gone to the coliseum, then Sephiroth wouldn't have kidnapped Yuffie. It was weird how he seemed to be the source of every major problem. Maybe after he saved Yuffie, he would just leave them. It would probably be for the best, on both sides.

 His inner self was telling him to just SHUT UP, but he couldn't stop. He continued to name all the things he had done to her, gaining momentum as he did so. He didn't know how it happened, or when, but before he knew it, he had his head in his hands, grasping at the roots of his hair. A huge migraine threatened to make itself home in his skull and he shook his held vehemently from side to side, almost on the brink of angry tears. God, how pathetic he was. He couldn't even keep his emotions in check. "Yuffie…I'm sorry," he said, defeated. She would probably never answer. Why the hell would she want to answer to him? He treated her like dirt, and he couldn't deny it. Up until now, he didn't give a flying shit about her well being, despite the promise he had made to protect her. He didn't know what had made his feelings change their course so suddenly, albeit he knew it troubled him beyond words. 

 He was just about to get up and throw himself out of the window into the endless abyss below to end his life as a miserable failure when he heard an audible gasp come from beside him. Lifting his head from his hands, he barely had enough time to brace himself as a completely naked Yuffie, using only the blankets as cover, launched herself forcefully into his powerful arms, sobbing and screaming into his chest like no tomorrow. "Yu….ffie?" he asked tensely, looking down at the girl who was holding his waist in an iron grip. He was fully aware that she was practically soaking his shirt through and through, giving him the prized entity of having your shirt completely wet in less than two minutes. He was also aware of some other acutely inappropriately details, like how her breasts were pressed right up against his chest, or how the blanket she was wrapped in kept slipping lower and lower in the back, giving him a full view of her a-

 "Oh dammit," Squall said, averting his gaze and abruptly cutting off his train of thoughts. If she ever knew that he had thought of her in _that_ way, she would probably kick his ass to Traverse Town and back. Then again, she would probably do it anyways just because she was naked and hugging him. 

 "W-wh…what?" Yuffie managed to ask into his chest. Squall had to bite down on his tongue to keep from cursing again. She probably thought he was saying it because he didn't want her to be hugging him. Which wasn't exactly the general idea, but it would've helped to keep his thoughts from straying to some perverse place. 

 "Not you," he soothed gently, stroking her sweat-soaked hair. "I was thinking about something else." She nodded into his chest, her sobbing ceasing but the tears still flowing freely. She was too hysterical to question his behavior at the moment. Besides, she had been crying for hours on end and she was pretty sure she was all dried up.

 Squall was still contemplating on whether or not to ask her about what had happened. Although he already knew damn well what HAD happened due to her absence of clothing, which lay in tattered ruins upon the carpeted floor. 

 "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" she whispered, her voice sounding so tiny that he had to strain his ears to hear.

 "Do you wish to tell?"

 _Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_Bid my blood to run before I come undone_

_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life_

 So she told him, told him everything. She didn't care that she was talking about being raped with the man she had a humongous crush on, didn't care that she was stark naked and embraced in his arms. All that she could think about was what had happened to her, and how she longed to tell someone…anyone.

 Yes, she was truly grateful he had come. Most of her tears were over the pure sentiment of his rescue of her, not only the rape. If it wasn't for him, she would've been forever trapped in the listless void that enshrouded her shortly after blacking out. It was if her virginity had taken with it her feelings and emotions, because she had felt completely numb. She had heard someone enter the room, but it had sounded far away, as if she was hearing it from underwater. And she had also seen his figure and heard his voice, but that too, was blurred. But as he had rambled on, his words slowly broke through and brought her out of the water, and that's where she was now. In his arms, clinging to him for dear life. He couldn't leave her…he wouldn't. 

  _Frozen inside without your touch without your love_

_ Darling only you are the life among the dead_

"Squall…" she asked after quite some time, breaking the silence. Squall snapped out of his turbulent thoughts, which mainly involved the many ways to kill Sephiroth. 

 "Yes?" 

 "If you liked me, and you found out I wasn't a virgin anymore, would you still like me? Or just leave me for someone else because you would think I was a slut?"  

 Squall was momentarily at a loss for words. She didn't look nervous, wasn't blushing in the least. She was serious. And she demanded a straight answer. Was she worried about what others would think of her, knowing she wasn't a virgin? She should've known better than that. They would all care for her deeply, and her sexuality and sex life would never have anything to do with that. 

 The question was filled with irony, yet monotonous at the same time. It was if Yuffie had lost the ability to have a pitch in her voice. It no longer sounded dulcet and perky. It sounded like…well…like his unchanging voice. Would she ever be the same? These last few days, she had gone under some kind of emotional change. He almost found himself begging for her to smile that toothy grin of hers, at least once.

 "Yuffie," he said, going along with her question. She had just gone through a terrible ordeal, and she didn't want to be fooled with. Even now seemed to toil away as he told her his answer. "I believe I am not such a good example, for I know perfectly well why you are not without your maidenhead. But if I didn't, I would have to say I would be indifferent. If I really had feelings for you such as you described, then whether you were a virgin or not wouldn't bother me."

 The miserable ninja stared at his firm chest, his poignant words moving her in more ways than one. He meant it that much was obvious. He was like her sweet analgesic, relieving her unconceivable pain. She knew she was imposing herself as onerous to him, or at least that's what she thought. Her silent apotheosis of her dark knight seemed to be heeded by him, because he held her even tighter, his warm body securing her within its loving embrace. 

 "You're bleeding," she whispered suddenly. Squall let out somewhat of a guffaw of withheld laughter.

 "I'm condoning you," he said soothingly. 

 Yuffie frowned. She knew she was the one who inflicted the wound on him. It was quite a hellacious mark, going halfway through his side. But he didn't seem to mind. He acted almost as if he didn't acknowledge it was there. 

 "You're going to bleed to death," she muttered, unable to tear her eyes away from the bloody slash. Squall just pushed her head the other way, stroking the nape of her neck unconsciously. 

 "I highly doubt I will. Stop worrying."

 Something shone within her. His words filled her with indescribable ardour, making her even more aware of her feelings for him. She didn't know what it was, but she was sure something was there, residing in her angst-ridden heart. She was slowing coming to realize why she had a crush on him, and supposedly why she could come to love him. 

 Squall watched her nuzzle into his chest, seeking solace within his soul. He would protect her. He had become careless and this had happened. But he promised himself that nothing like this would ever befall the beloved ninja. If something _did_ happen, and he found out, well…there would be hell to pay.

 _All this time I can't believe I couldn't see_

_Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me_

_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems _

_Got to open my eyes to everything_

_ Without a thought without a voice without a soul_

_Don't let me die here there must be something more_

_Bring me to life_

 A/N: This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I edited it into the next, because it would've made this chapter too long and tedious if I hadn't.. I hope I pleased all of you, since I hadn't put romance in this story between them up until now. I have also changed the rating to R, and was thinking about changing the title to "Bring Me to Life", which is the title of the song above. And just in case you're wondering, these songs are courtesy of Evanescence, from the CD 'Fallen'. 

 Pardon me for the delay in postings, but my document manager has a bug of some sort, so it is difficult to get these chapters out.


	8. Losing Sight

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. They all belong to their respective owners.

 Chapter Eight

 Losing Sight

 "Yuffie stop yanking on my hair," Squall said adamantly. She was grasping the brown locks in her hands, shaking them around like reins to a horse. "Or I'm going to drop you." 

 The oblivious ninja was riding in his arms, because when she had tried to walk, she had crumbled like a brick wall. She was still stark naked, her sheets wrapped and tied together in some sort of Malaysian-like dress. Her clothes had been messed up too much beyond any possible repair. "You're not going to drop me," she shot back wryly, tugging harder. "Because then I'd scream and alert everyone else and Sephiroth will come and I'll be all naked and bared and you two will have to fight and if you lose than I'll be captured again and then," she went on and on. Squall resisted the urge to just knock her and put her out of her misery. Albeit, the temptation of silence was pulling at him, he fought down the meager calls and concentrated more on where they were going.

 Yuffie had a point about what she was saying. (What a miracle that was.) If they encountered Sephiroth, he would be at a great disadvantage because one, he had a nude girl in his arms, and two, he didn't have any weapons. And he didn't like either of them. Although the whole scene of having a naked Yuffie in his arms was certainly questionable…

 The Gunblade wielder scrunched his eyebrows together as Yuffie found another thing to play with-his shirt. She was twisting the cloth around into little Cotton Mountains, a look of mischievous delight painted across her features. 

 "What are you doing now?" Squall asked, teetering on the edge of exasperation. Yuffie just made a face, which was all blown up with held in laughter. She sure was some happy camper. Squall ignored her for a few minutes, stopping to reenter back into the colorful hallway. "We have to go back down to the dungeons to get everyone else," he informed, not noticing that Yuffie was looking up at him with amusement. "There are Heartless down there so I might have to fight. Can you walk?"

 "Squall?" 

 "What."

 Giggle giggle. "Look at your shirt." 

 The brunette took one look at his shirt and almost slapped Yuffie right then and there. She had twisted and wrinkled the cloth around his chest, so that it looked like he had two pointed, protruding breasts poking out from under his shirt. (A/N: Come on people, haven't any of you done that before? Or maybe it's just me. I dunno.)

 "Yuffie…" he muttered, eyebrow twitching spastically. The young shinobi pinched her two lips together to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter. He looked like a transvestite. 

 "You look like a woman!" Yuffie blurted before she could stop herself. And the fact that he had long hair didn't help the matter. 

 Squall glared malevolently at her. Ever since they had left that room, she had started to act like her old self, except worse. It was if she had amnesia and brain damage at the same time. In his opinion, there really was nothing to be so damn happy about. She was a complex paradox that he couldn't figure out.

 "Smooth it out," he ordered quietly as he darted around a corner, narrowly missing being seen by a patrolling Heartless. When Yuffie made no move to do so, he hefted her weight around plaintively, until she started to make low whining sounds for him to stop. She then did what she was told and was pretty much immobile afterwards. 

 Sephiroth had to have known that Yuffie wasn't there anymore. There were Heartless everywhere. The problem was, they were all the stronger breeds, and he barely stood a chance against the weaker ones being unarmed. 

 Surveying the area, he let out an inaudible sigh. A grumble really. This was becoming a real bore. He couldn't stand here all day watching  these idiotic creatures run around. He was in dire need to get Yuffie back to where she belonged, and to have his beloved weapon in his hands once again. But then, to get his Gunblade back, that would mean confronting Sephiroth. 

 "Come on Squall! Just go already!" Yuffie groaned, slapping his chest. Squall ignored her for the most part. As long as she didn't draw too much attention, he didn't care if she was singing or burping. Well on the contrary, he would be somewhat perturbed if she was burping, but that was far from the point. 

 Finally, the Heartless started to give up, and they moved out of their timed walking patterns, wandering off to various parts of the castle. Squall watched the hall empty, having to blink a few times. He had been waiting for so long that the way looked oddly unfamiliar.

 "I have to go to the freaking bathroom," the ninja said shrewdly in his arms. The Gunblade wielder rolled his eyes, a nasty habit of his.

 "Can't you hold it?"

 "Nooo," Yuffie said, trying to stretch herself out. "Unless you want me to piss on you."

 "Too bad. Hold it."

 With those words, he ran into the hallway, making sharp turns at every corner. Truth be told, he really didn't want Yuffie to pee on him, even if she was just joking. 

 The dungeon was the same as before, except there were no Heartless to be seen. And what's more, the prisoners were gone. 'Oh great,' he thought feverishly. It was hard enough getting down here, and now he had to go back _up_. He really belonged in one of those insane shows where everyone fought about their problems. He had caught Yuffie several times watching them whenever they were at a place that had a rare television set to enjoy. 

 "I just remembered that I have my weapons!" Yuffie yelled loud enough to wake the dead. Squall glared at her yet again, his insides churning with unending irritation. Why didn't she say something before?! He had been darting around this whole time like some kind of James Bond wannabe, when she had this mini artillery with her all along.

 "Well," he strained out. "Use them then." He stared at her for a bit. "Why didn't you notice before?" he added with frustration.

"I dunno…but don't worry Squallie, those Heartless are gonna wish they never stepped on the face of this planet!" she said with enthusiasm, her gung ho attitude somehow lightening the fatal predicament they were in. She started pumping her arms into the air, something Squall didn't appreciate because it became harder to keep his grip on her.

 "Yuffie, I do not appreciate you calling me Squallie," the brunette said firmly after she had managed to calm herself down about "taking out the trash." Or in other words, after she had dissipated about five Heartless with her shurikens. You'd think she would be more serious about the situation they were in, since every action they made could very well be their last. 

 "Took you long enough…but nu-uh," Yuffie shot back, as if she knew his thoughts better than him. "You gave up on me calling you Leon. So that means that I can call you Squall and any other name that applies to it." 

 "Where did you get that idea?" he demanded as she carelessly slashed down an oncoming Heartless with her ninja weapons. Yuffie didn't answer him for some time, and for a moment he thought that maybe she had just realized how childish she was being and that she should take their situation more seriously. And in some way she had.

 "Sorry…I just got so excited when you told me that you had finally let up on the whole 'Leon' crap that I let my emotions get out of hand." Which, in Squall's opinion, was very mature of her to say, aside from the crap part. Squall didn't give her any feedback, fully enjoying the soothing silence that ensued. At least they weren't coming off with hard feelings, something that was often present when there was a loss of words between them. He silently reveled in the fact that she was acting up just because of his petty confession, which really meant nothing to him. As long as she was safe, then his stupid nickname could burn in hell.

 Although that wouldn't be far enough for him because he felt like he was in the center of Hell itself, stuck in all this demented turmoil that he was longing to get out of. He silently vowed that he would never get anywhere near this place again. Now that he thought of it, he might as well burn the place to the ground after they get out of there. 

 "Yeeps!!" Yuffie yelled suddenly, right before crashing into the balcony railing. The cold cobblestone bit into her feebly covered stomach, the stone grinding her insides to mush. And to make things worse, Squall obviously was off in his own world because he came slamming right into her, further digging the cold and hard cobblestone into her skin. "Ooowwiieee!! Squall!!" she whined none too gently. Squall felt the urge to slap her again, but was distracted by the way his body was pressed up against hers. Yuffie didn't seem to notice this though, because she was too busy complaining about the 'cursed railing from hell that was put there for no damn good reason.' He had to remember to make sure she kept her distance from Cid, because she was starting to turn into a Cid clone. That was not what the world needed right now. 

 "Christ, I'm going to have a big, fat, ugly, purple mark across my stomach when I get home!" Yuffie vented out. Squall was carrying her again, since he had found out that the particular railing they had 'bumped' into was the same one Squall had followed the misguided ninja up almost four hours before. Jumping back over it was somewhat of a challenge, since Yuffie refused to stay still, blaming her miniscule pain on the fact that Squall hadn't been paying attention, thus crashing into her. "Hey look it's Aerith!" she squealed, forgetting about her ranting to wave excitedly at her friend. In the distance, the pink clad figure raised her thin arm and waved back, signaling for them to hurry up. 

 Really, it was like trying to watch a hyperactive puppy. Right as Squall put the shinobi onto the ground, she ran toward Aerith at the speed of light, surprisingly managing to get across the one hundred foot sprint without falling once. Which was some accomplishment, since there was a bazillion things along the way that could do more than just trip you. 

 But Squall went along with it anyways. No point in putting a damper on the girl's mood. It would put him in the position of a hypocrite, something he had come to abhor. 

 "She seems oddly happy," Cloud muttered behind his blood red cape. Squall glanced at the sober man, wondering where he had been all this time. But at least he did what he was told. He had gotten the others to safety.

 "Oh someone shut her up!" Luxina interrupted, watching the ninja squeal and dance around with Aerith as if they shared some kind of shocking secret. 

 "It would be good for _you _ to do so," Squall snapped back, knowing fully well that Luxina deserved that better than any. "She's been through more than you know."

 "Well I know _that,_" Luxina droned out. "But it would be nice if she could shut her gob up anyways. I mean listen to that squealing! It can drive a person bonkers."

 Cripes. Squall really would never understand women. They never seemed to be happy unless they had something to gripe about. And in this case, Luxina seemed to be the expert queen at that, since she wouldn't stop verbally harassing Yuffie. Even if they stitched her lips shut, she would find some way to make a wholly racket and drive them all senile. 

 "Damn Heartless…little dicks don't know when to keep their noses to der selves," Cid grumbled out, although once you analyzed it, half the Heartless population didn't even have noses. The pilot in question was leaning frumpily against the wall of the ship, smoking enough to burn down a fire. If he didn't stop smoking they'd all end up dead before they could even have children because of blackened lungs. 

 The rising sunset flared angrily at them, covering everything in blinding light. The rays reflected painfully against the Gummi's metal weapons and engines, making the people around it squint. 

 Cloud watched the sun peak over the horizon tepidly, a small part of him screaming that something was indeed wrong. He focused as best he could on the outline of the sun, frowning as he did so. It was red. Blood red. And if he remembered correctly, whenever the sun rose in red, it meant a quick approaching death. What he was contemplating was whether or not to alert the others of this. It would of course, put them completely on edge, either that or they would shrug it off and say that it was because of his lack of sleep. But something told him that his premonitions were right.

 "Squall…" the blonde said, not taking his eyes off of the flaring orb. "We…should get going…." Squall looked at his childhood friend and arched his brows. 

 "Why?"

 "Now," Cloud finished firmly, as the sun rose highly, further provoking his impending superstition. It was red. There was no mistaking it. Something was wrong. And if they didn't leave, it might be too late for one of them. Or he feared, even more. 

 "We have to go NOW. We're in danger Squall," Cloud said, more of an order than anything else. Squall obviously didn't get it, something that pissed the former mercenary off. This was the least appropriate time for the Gunblade wielder to start acting oblivious. 

 "I can't leave the Gunblade," Squall said monotonously. "Stop worrying. Nothing's going to happen."

 _'Of course something is going to happen!'_ Cloud felt like screaming. How could he not see what was about to happen? It was right there in his face, and he was acting like this was some joy ride for him. The reason he had told Squall to leave in the first place was because he thought he would be the only one that would actually listen. Obviously he had been wrong. 

 "Dammit Squall I-" 

 Cloud was brutally cut off as a black clad figure landed in front of them, the Gunblade propped casually on his shoulder. 

 Squall let out a low growl as Sephiroth fingered the Gunblade. The image of Yuffie sobbing and naked in the bed burned fresh in his mind. How could that man be so calm after breaking such a creature? Albeit, Yuffie hadn't been acting like that's what had happened.

 Wrong. Yuffie looked like she was about to create an inferno of hell in front of them. She wasn't in that crazy-mental state anymore. She was dead serious, and she wanted to get revenge. The girl that Squall had come to know as an innocent seraph was now a enraged demon, her heart tainted with myriads of pain.

 "Give Squall back the Gunblade," the infuriated ninja spat out, her hand clenching and unclenching on her rapier. Her other had was tightly encircled around three shuriken, ready to fire at will. 

 "Still angry, are we? I'm surprised you aren't sobbing on the floor right now," Sephiroth said coldly, directing all of his moroseness toward Yuffie. Her eyes narrowed like a pissed off cat, and she looked like she was going to go ballistic any second. He was beleaguering her. But there was no denying the way Yuffie was feeling. From her pallid cheeks to her shaking shoulders, it was obvious that she was scared. A lot more scared than she was letting on. His strident words had brought her back to the painful reality of what had happened to her. She tried to be happy and act like nothing had happened, and it had been working, until _he_ came along. How she was just about ready to burst with held in rage.

 "I told you if you betrayed me, I would kill you," Sephiroth said harshly. The Gunblade had been forced into the ground, standing vertically. Sephiroth had his hands resting on the hilt of his own sword, prepared to pull it from its sheath at lightening speed.

_ 'Attack me,'_ Yuffie was almost beseeching. This time, she actually had something to prove. She wanted everyone to know just because he raped her didn't mean it maimed her life. She would show that she was impervious to his idle threats, and that she wasn't as venal as everyone portrayed her as. She would never forgive what Sephiroth had done to her, but she would eventually forget it. But now, she was going to live up to the moment.

 How long had it been since she had felt this way? She would've said only about four days ago, when she first set her eyes on Luxina. But that hadn't been pure rage, it was just envy and jealously rearing its ugly head. This feeling was different. It was an ardent anger that burned with a passion in her heart, and she longed to unleash it. 

 No, she wasn't afraid. Squall had once told her that fear was a useful tool, but only if you knew how to control it. Then it could make you more agile, more aware to your surroundings, and quicker to react. But if it was the other way around, then fear would catch you at your most vulnerable state and engulf you in despair and irrationality. That had been one of the few times that Squall actual had given her the time of day and talked to her. It always seemed whenever he did so, it was always for a piece of advice. Not that Yuffie ever minded though, because it usually came in handy eventually. 

 Luxina watched the minute shinobi stand unmoving against the great general. Her own heart was palpitating loudly, though she knew not why. There was this looming feeling of dire that wouldn't leave her. She felt as if someone was tugging at her life strings at the exact moment, ready to pull her into the so-called paradise that was eternal living. Luxina stared at the hellacious silver-haired man, his gloved hand placed calmly over his sword's hilt. Looking at that sword, half of the shining metal already pulled out of its sheath, struck a nerve so raw and deep she almost thought she would collapse with shock.

 Then, suddenly Luxina was washed over with remorse. Remorse for all the things she had done, the crimes she had committed, everything. It was if her life was flashing before her, and she didn't have any idea why. Was it because she was scared to death of this man and thought they would all die? She really didn't want to die, but if she died with all of them, she thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. 

 Luxina had always been unremitting, and for the most part, pretty stoic. But as she grew, she learned the conniving ways of thieves, and some others from wandering prostitutes. Her prestige she held in herself dropped drastically, and she suddenly found herself crying out in the open for no reason at all. It was those times that she wished that she was with someone, anyone, to cure her loneliness. 

 Yes, her family had come with her to Traverse Town, but they had left right after Squall refused to marry her. Her parents never really supported her anyways. Then when Yuffie came along, it was like a tremendous bomb in her life. She dropped in unexpectedly, already knowingly catching Squall's attention. The ninja may not have realized, but Squall was always watching her with a guardian's eye, despite ignoring her most of the time. But the question was, would he be able to protect her now, when she was prepared to embrace death?

"I am not afraid of you," Yuffie stated loudly in the crisp morning air. The rising sun seemed to heighten the effect, casting a magnificent glow upon her youthful face. She held the stature of a seraph ready to descend into the recesses of hell. 

 Sephiroth didn't answer, just unsheathed his sword, and charged right at Yuffie. She got into a ready position, ready to fight for her life. She wouldn't go down. She was made of tougher stuff than that. Or so she was told.

 Without warning, she let out a myriad of shuriken, but Sephiroth, being a speed demon over many years of experience, easily maneuvered around them, landing at her side. He unleashed his own barrage of thrusts, making Yuffie lash out her rapier and parry like crazy. In almost five seconds, he had put her on full defensive mode. She hated that. The only way to win, in her opinion, was to be the one attacking, not blocking. 

 Sephiroth's vulpine moves were catching her completely off guard. He was just too agile. When she thought she had him in his sights, he would just jump carelessly out of the way. 

 Yuffie let out a string of curses as Sephiroth cut her side. She was becoming a real mess. She had enough scars to represent a whole population. What was she supposed to do now? He attacked in no obvious pattern, and his movements were spontaneous. It wouldn't help to predict what he would do next. She didn't have such time. She would just have to resort to her ninja instincts.

_ 'Urgh..'_ she thought. _'Too late.' _It seemed to have slipped her mind that one, she was naked and covered with a sheet, and two, she was only up to half strength, or even less. But now it came back with full force, a painful reminder. The rapier slipped from her hands, and Sephiroth knocked it over the edge, the weapon falling into oblivion below. 

 "SEPHIROTH!" Squall yelled, and tried in vain to get to the Gunblade, or to Yuffie. But he couldn't. Sephiroth had somehow unknowingly put some sort of magic spell on them so they couldn't move. Some sort of paralysis magic that made them immobile. It was like they all had paraplegia. 

 "Yuffie!" Aerith screamed. What were they supposed to do? She was going to die. How many times had they been faced with this situation? They had to get to her. But that was literally impossible.

 Luxina watched on helplessly. They were all frozen. _'Dammit,'_ she thought. She still had that feeling of dread, and now she knew why. Something told her someone was going to die, and it seemed most likely Yuffie. If only she could help her. But how? Wait…she looked down at her body. _'I can save her…'_

 Yuffie stared up in horror at the man in front of her, his sword ready to strike. It was like watching a movie, except it was her life. Sephiroth moved toward her, and suddenly he was put into slow motion. She watched helplessly as he ran at her, the sword positioned to strike her right in the heart. _Die,_ it seemed to howl. And she would. Who would stop him? She couldn't, her adrenaline had long been drained. The drug he had given her hours before had sucked her up dry. 

 She wasn't scared, oddly enough. She was going to accept death. She had read in a book that that was the ultimate mission of a samurai. Of course she was a ninja, but maybe she could die with the legacy of a samurai. The people could make her a statue, maybe set it up in Traverse Town. No, Hollow Bastion would be better. Much more fitting for a castle than a town. She could make the record for being two things at once. A samurai and a ninja.

 _'What does death feel like?'_ she thought vaguely. Well, she supposed she was about to feel it now. Aerith told her that it would feel like an ethereal bliss, where you found idyllic happiness and eternal rest. Yuffie seriously hoped she was right.

 Yuffie closed her eyes, ready to feel to searing pain of the cold metal tearing her flesh, but it never came. Then it hit her.

 She didn't know how it happened. Or maybe she did, but it was too fast for her to comprehend. One minute she was staring at the malicious blade, and the next she was roughly pushed aside. And instead of watching the sword going right though her, she watched it go through _Luxina._ No…

 _Screaming…._

_Blood…so much of it…._

_Red sun….means pain….._

_Black…all black…._

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yuffie opened her blurry eyes, rubbing them painfully. They felt raw and callused. A hellacious wave of nausea hit her, threatening to drag her back into unconsciousness. The room was spinning violently in her vision. She shook her head pensively, trying to remember what had happened. 

 Everything was so blurred. Her memories blended and mixed, leaving her with a distorted view of the truth. Images and voices flashed though her mind, but it was almost impossible to sort them all out. Her head was a huge street of confusion, an influx of thoughts and reminiscences. So futilely tried to find what had happened first. 

 _'We came to Traverse Town…Traverse Town? Why? Oh yeah…Squall's wedding. Who was his fiancée again? Name name name…la la la…can't remember. Think think…come on Yuffie you can do it. LUXINA. Her name was Luxina. God I am smart…so what happened next? Wait, Luxina? Why do I feel like she's fading?'_

 Turning her head to the side, she noticed Squall was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his head resting against his chest. He looked rather uncomfortable sitting in the hard chair, but it looked as if he had managed to sleep anyways. Had he been watching over her this whole time? He looked absolutely exhausted. His shoulders were hunched and tight, and he had a large frown splayed across his face. His hair was in disarray and his clothes were wrinkled and dirty. He looked old.

 "Squall?" she asked, tensing as he slowly raised his head, pushing his long bangs out of his eyes. He cocked an eyebrow at her, gazing at her penetratingly.

 "You're awake."

 "Uh huh. How long have I been sleeping?" Squall rubbed his face tiredly. She noticed that he had bags forming under his eyes.

 "A week."

 "A WEEK!?!" she shrieked loudly. How could she sleep for a week?! "OH GAWD!!" She clambered out of bed, almost falling over Squall's long legs in the process. She shrieked even more when she looked down and realized that she was standing in front of Squall with only her underwear and bra. "OH GAWD!!" she repeated, leaping back into bed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I WAS HALF NAKED!"

 "Well sorry," Squall said dully, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're the one that had unintentionally revealed yourself. It's not my fault you jumped up so quickly." Yuffie quickly caught on to his somber expression and sullen voice and softened her face.

 "Squall, what's wrong? I am ok now."

 "It's not you."

 Yuffie forced herself to not look offended. Was he thinking about Luxina? Wait…where was Luxina?

 "Squall…where's Luxina?" It somewhat occurred to her, since she would've expected the woman to be in her room already, screeching and rapping on her about sleeping for so long. But she wasn't, and it worried her. 

 Squall just stared at her, diverting his gaze to the wall behind her. She had to know. It would come up eventually. Besides, this wasn't the kind of thing that you could just cover up.

 "Yuffie…." He stopped. God, why did he have to be the one to do this? "Yuffie…Luxina…she's dead." 

 When she heard those words, naturally she didn't believe it. _'Luxina? DEAD? Screaming, whining, complaining Luxina? No way…'_ The why did it seem so obvious? She can't be dead! 

  Before she could contain herself, she was standing on the bed, babbling listlessly. 

 "WHAT!? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! IF THIS IS A JOKE, IT'S NOT FUNNY! LUXINA!" Yuffie continued to rant on, her face one of delusion and disbelief. Her eyes begun to shine as no one answered. "LUXINA DAMMIT I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!!" Silence.

 "Why…" she asked quietly. "WHY!?" she started to pound the pillows mercilessly. Seeing as though they wouldn't give in, she gave up and threw them all around the room, tearing the blankets from under her and hurling them off of the bed too. Why was it always her fault? First her parents, then Luxina. She wasn't worthy enough for them to give up their lives to save her! She should've been dead already, not them.

 _'God I'm such a burden.' _She thought miserably as she sank back into the bare bed, resting her fiery cheek against the soft, springy mattress. Her face was ablaze with anger and sorrow, and her body trembled listlessly. She wouldn't cry. _'I WILL NOT CRY.'_ Luxina wouldn't approve. But then, she wasn't there anyways so why did it matter?

 "It's not your fault, you know," Squall tried to console her as he sat on the bed next to her. Yuffie gave him the cold shoulder and turned around, her back facing him. She wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her head on her knees, trying to conceal any warmth that hadn't yet left her body. 

 "How do you know that?" she demanded, her face growing hotter as she spoke in short gasps. The ninja could feel the powerful man shifting in his place, until he was leaning back on his palms, his feet almost touching the ground. He leant back some more until he was horizontal to Yuffie.

 "She had the choice to stay put, or to save you. She chose to move. It was her decision. You didn't _make_ her do it."

 Yuffie didn't want to listen. _'Yes you do,'_ her mind argued back. _'You want to hear that it's not your fault. That you didn't cause another death.'_ As much as she wanted to spite her conscience, she couldn't. Because of the sole reason that it was completely right. She wanted to hear those words, those soothing words of comfort telling her that Luxina died because she cared for her, not because she had been compelled to do it without her own will.

 "Yuffie, you have to understand that she really did care about you. She wanted you to live and believed that her time her was spent. So you're not going to go walking around for the rest of your life moping and feeling guilty because you thought that you killed someone. Ok?" 

 "Y-yes…' she stuttered out, gripping her legs so tightly that they started to go numb with blood loss. Squall was having another one of those moments where he talked more than usual. But the occasion fit, so Yuffie let it slide. 

 "How come?"

 "How come what?"

 "Why was she able to move and nobody else was?"

 Squall reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her face was rosy and she had perspiration clinging to her ivory skin. She looked so…lost.

 "Do you believe in destiny?"

 "No," she replied bluntly. Of course she was lying. When she was younger, she was a sucker for all those romance stories that Aerith used to recite to her. Since then she had always had some wild longing about soul mates and how if you wish on a star it would come true. Of course, she had grown out of all those fairy tales. They were just blissful stories. It could never happen. Besides, keeping your expectations as high as those make reality so much more crushing when you find out that bar could never be reached.

 "You used to." God, did Aerith tell Squall everything? No, probably not. She usually just fibbed to Cloud and then Cloud, who was an absolute chatterbox back then, would obviously tell Squall. Then somehow her parents would overhear and rebuke her for believing in such things. But then, back then she could never do anything about it.

 "So? Used to. Past tense. Destiny is just a word to give people hope." 

 Squall silently sighed. How could he get the idea across to her? It was like trying to talk to a brick wall. But then again, that title was usually fractiously given to him. 

 "I don't know how to get you to understand then. Luxina _knew_ she was going to die. It was either her determination, or the hand of Fate that caused her to function while we could not." 

 The Gunblade wielder watched the ninja's face. He gave her a stern look. "You aren't going to cry are you?"

 "NO!" she snapped, although with difficulty due to the fact that he still had her chin firmly held between his fingers. "When was her funeral?"

 "Three days ago."

 "Oh."

 "We would've waited once you had woken up…but…we weren't sure if you'd _ever_ wake up."

 "What?" Yuffie asked bewildered, now that Squall's hand was back in his lap, clasping his other hand tightly. 

 "You had fatal injuries, and the doctor said that you might not make it. You had lost a large amount of blood, and several broken bones. We all thought you would either die or be in a coma."

 "Well you didn't sound too happy when I woke up," she grumbled offensively. The cruel words of Sephiroth echoed in her head. Did he want her to be gone, forever silent? _'No,'_ she thought. 

 "Sorry. I'm just tired," he groaned, rubbing his eyes wearily. 

 "It's ok," she said smoothly. "You aren't exactly know for being enthusiastic anyways."  She glanced around, her heart starting to be lifted of its horrible burden. "Ummm….where is Cloud and the others?" 

 "Sleeping. You should get some rest too." Yuffie gawked at him.

 "SLEEP!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU JUST SAID I'VE BEEN SLEEPING FOR A WEEK!!" Yuffie made an effort to stand, but yelped when her side gave shots of pain in protest. "YAHHOOZEES!!!" 

"What?" Squall asked skeptically. 

 "Nothing," she muttered, trying to ignore the blush that had forced its way upon her. Again, she was standing in her underclothes, all uncovered and bared for Squall to see. It was downright embarrassing.

 "I suggest you go get some clothes," Squall advised her, making sure not to bring his gaze any lower than her face. "Then we could think of something to do to forget about the recent tragedies."

 "I'll never forget," Yuffie whispered quietly as she opened shuffled over to the chest and brought out some spare clothes. Squall just shrugged indifferently.

 "I know, but you could try."

 Yuffie silently acknowledged his encouraging words. _'I am truly sorry, Luxina.'_ She thought remorsefully. _'But I don't want to wallow over you. Please understand.' _ She was frustrated that all she had done this past week was cry and cause others pain. She was sick of it. And she refused to be pushed down by this sudden death of her friend. Yes, she considered her a friend. After what Luxina had done for her, how could she not? Yuffie averted her gaze to Squall, who was chuckling, after she had redressed herself.

 "What are you all giggly 'bout?" she demanded, slightly aghast. He was laughing? Squall Leonhart who was as emotionless as a rock was laughing! Right after his fiancées death, no less. Oh horrors, was the clock of time finally taking it's toll on him? "HELLO!? ARE YOU GONNA SIT THERE ALL DAY LAUGHING AT YOUR OWN PRIVATE JOKE OR ARE YOU GONNA TELL ME!?" 

 "Calm down Yuffie," Squall said monotonously. _'Oooo that dike,'_ she thought angrily. _'Act like I just didn't see you laughing like a loon.'_ "I was just remembering something that Luxina had told me before she had passed on."

 "AND YOU'RE LAUGHING AT THAT!" Sign number one that he was going crazy. She should keep a list of this and read them to him one day.

 "No…but it's something to really think about."

  Yuffie sighed. He was extremely bad at being dramatic, if he was trying to. "Ok, what did she say."

 "She told me to take care of you."

 Now Yuffie wanted to laugh. _Take care of her?_ She didn't need a baby sitter. Of course the thought that she meant it another way was quick to pop up, but she rapidly pushed it away. Squall cared about her, but he didn't _like_ her. Seriously, who would? In her opinion, she was like a defect and was supposed to be a guy but got the girly parts so just had to live with being an ugly girl. She hated that. She looked like a tomboy and she HATED IT. It drove her nuts whenever she looked into the mirror. That was one of the main reasons she avoided them, unless she wanted a bunch of glass laying at her feet.

 "And she said if I hurt you she'll make me burn in hell."

 _'Now that is touching,'_ Yuffie thought amusedly. Now she had something to use against him. But really, it was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. It was like Luxina was _giving_ Squall over to the ninja. She wasn't really a bad person after all. Her ardent ponderings were cut short by Cloud opening the door.

 "Hey Squall…YUFFIE!" he said, his mouth agape. Yuffie laughed. _'Hey look it's Cloud the Fish!'_

 "Yep! You're cute 'lil annoying ninja is back!" she yelled zealously, waving around her fist in the air. 

 "Good…I'm glad. I thought you would die too," the Blonde said wryly.

 "Oh thanks for the optimism!" Yuffie snapped sarcastically.

 "Anyways, now that you're awake, maybe we could all have a talk."

 "Ok!" Yuffie squealed, more than ready to do so. A group gossip! They hadn't done that in ages. Plus, never with Cloud before. It would be just like old times.

 "Whatever," Squall said, waving it off with his hand. Yuffie beamed happily, and grabbed his arm, tugging him along. Luxina was right. Her life was a treasure, and it was time to live it.

 A/N: Aww damn…Luxina is dead. But I had to do it. The next chapter is going to be a funny one since they'll all be confessing and joking and daring and stuff with each other. REAL FUN. So yeah…oh I'm going on a trip next week so it may take awhile to get the ninth chapter out. Please R and R!!! 


	9. Teasing Death

Bring Me To Life 

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, locations, and all the other crap. 

Chapter Nine

 Teasing Death

 A/N: I am sorry for not updating for a while. When I said I was going on a trip, I thought it would just be to Las Vegas for four days. But my mom obviously didn't tell me we were going to LA right after, so I ended up staying a lot longer. Then when I came back I got a writers block so this chapter might be REALLY crappy. It's mainly just everyone acting OOC and freaking out.

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie rolled around on the Red Room's bed, more than happy to smell the familiar scent of Aerith and Cloud on it. Even if they did the nasty on it, she really didn't give a whiz. The comfort of being in the rooms with her friends was good enough for her.

 "Hey!" Yuffie yelled playfully as Sora jumped on the bed with her, making her side inflate a little. "Geez Sora, you get fatter by the minute." 

 "I do not!" he said derisively. "Riku said I was as skinny as a beanpole!" 

 They heard an unpleasant snort come from the corner. "You are a beanpole," Riku muttered, quickly turning his head away when Yuffie looked at him. He was still hesitant to be near her after she had mercilessly assaulted him with hugs and kisses once she found out that he was the one who gave the information on where she was. He really didn't think they'd figure it out. Or to be more specific, he never thought it would be Squall to crack it. Of course Squall got his own friendly hug, but unfortunately unlike his, she was more modest and embarrassed to hug the older man. Riku silently cursed the brunette for slipping out of the crazed teen's affections so easily. 

 "I think I've scared your friend," Yuffie whispered to Sora on the bed. Sora grinned childishly and glanced over at the fifteen year old. 

 "With what you did to him, I wouldn't blame him if he was scarred for life," Of course Sora knew that Riku would never so fazed by such a thing, but it was nice to imagine him cowering against the female species.

 "He'll probably become gay then.." Yuffie did a fake gasp and looked at Sora with wide eyes. "Be careful Sora, he might have a crush on you!" And then she made this big show of laughing wildly when Sora's eyes grew as wide as saucers until they looked like they were going to bulge out of his head. Poor boy, so gullible. 

 "That's not funny Yufyuf! Now I'm scarred for life!" Sora shivered at the thought another man in love with him. Even worse, his best friend. Now Riku was going to think he was crazy whenever he kept his distance from him. 

 "Yuffie are you terrorizing Sora again?" Aerith asked, walking over to them. Yuffie looked as innocent as possible, giving her best I'm-a-perfectly-good-angel smile. 

 "Now why would I do such a thing. Right Sora?" She quickly pinched Sora's leg when he opened his mouth to start his complaints about her teasing. 

 "Owwww….." Pinch. "YEAH! YUFFIE WOULD NEVER TEASE ME!" Aerith sighed, shaking her head as she watched the teens pinch and slap each other mercilessly. She wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being brother and sister. 

 "Stop Sora!!" Yuffie yelled. "Don't make me laugh! I still have to go to the bathroom!"

 "You have to go that bad!?" the Keyblade master asked, his voice slightly higher than normal.

  "I'VE BEEN HOLDING IT FOR A WEEK!!" 

 "Awright enough getting horny on Blondie's and Pink's bed," Cid said as he walked into the room. Yuffie and Sora faces flushed with embarrassment. Cid had a very narrow mind when it came to friendship brawls.

 "We are not getting horny!" Yuffie snapped. 

 "Yeah, that's what dey all say," Cid muttered.

 "Oh shut up ya old coot," Yuffie countered, narrowly missing the cigarette he threw at her. "Whaddaya doing!? You wanna burn a hole in my forehead, Smokey?" Yuffie mentally added those names to her ever-growing list of things to call Cid. 

 "Smokey?! AT LEAST I DON'T GOT A MUSTACHE!" 

 Yuffie's eyes widened, her hands instinctively flying to her face. Did she have a mustache!? She new everyone had some really short hair on his or her face, but was hers that obvious? She felt around furiously, almost blowing her top when she felt nothing. That fat old liar. Crummy bastard was trying to phase her, but he would NOT get the last laugh. 

 "Yeah you don't have a mustache! That's the only place you don't have hair! You'd think you would shave some of it off and put it on your balding head!!" But instead of replying, he just vociferated a myriad of curses, and walked out of the room, grumbling about immature kids. Yuffie silently patted herself on the back for another victory. No one won against her. 

 "I should go see Kairi," Sora said, his eyes full of mirth. It was so amusing watching Yuffie have a verbal spar, mainly because she said the funniest and wildest things on the planet. 

 "Ok. See you at the butt crack of dawn," Yuffie called after him, testing out the new term. She had heard a couple say it out in the streets, and she thought it sounded so damn cool she just had to use it. Sora shot her a incredulous look as he let himself out. Riku quickly followed after him, not wanting to be in the same room with the ninja. Without Sora to keep her occupied, he feared she would start 'attacking' him again. 

 Yuffie laid on the king-sized bed for a while, but almost instantly became bored. It was quickly remedied though as Aerith and Cloud came to sit on the bed, followed by a reluctant Squall. 

 "I have an idea."

 "What?" Aerith asked the ninja, who practically had a light bulb blinking over her head. 

 "We can all have a sleep over and sleep in the same bed!" 

 "Yuffie I think that's a bad idea…" Aerith.

 "No." Squall.

 "Are you crazy? We can't all fit in one bed." Cloud.

 "Oh yeah," Yuffie said, remembering something. "That wouldn't be a good idea because Cloud might get excited." Cloud glanced at the younger girl.

 "So?" he asked, narrowing his eyes slightly when a vulpine look splayed across her features. She snorted and started to speak as if the blonde wasn't there.

 "When Cloud gets excited he starts to fart uncontrollably." 

 "WHAT!?" Yuffie continued, even though Cloud was trying to strangle her and she was almost gasping with peals of laughter.

 "And you know how much it smells when you fart under the sheets. It gets all smelly, especially when you lift them."

 While Aerith was busying trying to control Cloud, Yuffie took this time to glance at Squall, who was laying horizontal to her. Surprisingly, his face was red. At first, Yuffie wondered why he would be blushing, then realized it was because he was trying to hold in his laughter. She internally sighed. It's not like they were going to deride him for actually loosening up. 

 "Squallie you shouldn't get so red. It attracts mosquitoes," she informed him, only watching as he seemed to grow redder. Okay, that can't be healthy. "Just let it out. You might explode. I don't think Cloud and Aerith want your guts painting over the room."

 "Oh Yuffie, that is just gross," Aerith fumbled out as Cloud tried to grapple for Yuffie's neck. Yuffie stuck out her tongue and moved farther away. It was funny watching him get all angry.

 "Cloud calm down. I was just joking. Geez, you'd think that you would just shrug it off…of course…" Yuffie's eyes gleamed once more. "Unless it really is true!" Cloud practically fell off the bed.

 "Ok Yuffie, fine. I give up. You are impossible. Now just shut up," he snapped, resting his head against the carpeted floor. 

 Squall watched the two of them 'converse'. Yuffie was pretty ardent today. She seemed especially happy to beleaguer Cloud with pointless jokes. He didn't know why Cloud was going along with her, and getting so worked up, but he suspected it was because Cloud probably felt it was in his best interest to do so. The only way to forget about their recent happenings, was to just laugh it off. Or at least, that's what all those proverbs and sayings stated in Merlin's old smelly books. Reading through all of them, and the only thing you got out of it was a bunch of nonsense advice.

 But either way, he was glad she was better. A little insane, but it was better than being angst-ridden. Or at least he thought. He remembered how she had looked only a few hours ago.

 She had looked so serene sleeping. Sitting in that seat had been a total pain in the ass, but watching her was something he didn't mind. It had been an automatic response. Right after Luxina had fallen, he had rushed to the unconscious Yuffie. He knew that Luxina was dead, but the thought that Sephiroth might capture the youthful ninja again stayed evident in his mind. He had picked her up and taken her inside the ship, laying her horizontally in a row of seats. After than came Luxina than his beloved Gunblade. 

 In truth, he had almost had a heart attack when she had awoken. He had looked calm and groggy, but inside he was screaming and leaping. In some sense, since he couldn't even picture himself doing such things. Unlike the others, he believed she would awaken. He knew that she wasn't that weak. She wasn't one to submit her life up so easily. 

 For one week he had sat by her side, unable to leave. He felt some sort of force pulling him to be there. How would she feel if she woke up, and no one was there to fill her in? She would have a fit, or even worse, start crying again. So he had stayed with her, putting some wet clothes over her head now and then once she started to break into a sweat. It had beleaguered him to see her thrashing around in the bed, moaning as if she was being tortured. And maybe she was, but did she not realize that watching her tortured him too? 

 When he had found her in Sephiroth's room, he had felt something inside of him crumble. Before then, he had never seen her cry since that fateful day nine years ago. Nine years ago. Not once had she cried. She had gotten hurt on several occasions, but she had brushed it off, and after a few minutes she was up and running again. She had come close, but whenever they asked her, she would deny it, saying that the Great Female Ninja never cried. And for some time they had believed her. After nine years, they had come to believe that she was impervious to such an emotion. But she wasn't, and Squall had proof.

 He couldn't quite remember when it had begun, but he soon heard small whimpers emitting from her room, furiously trying to be muffled. At first he thought it was just a passing phase, something she would eventually get over, like a child and his/her candy craze. But she didn't. Every night, always past twelve, he would hear her deprived moans from her room, until it became like a broken record player repeating in his mind. At the very least, he hated the repetition. 

 Sleep had long since become irrelevant to him. How could he even think to close his eyes when Yuffie's cries sounded like a tormented creature? He couldn't even comprehend what kind of thoughts she had that would antagonize her so much. 

 "Squall?" Yuffie asked softly, waving her hand in front of his face. "You zoned out there." 

 Squall shook his head, staring at the minute hand moving back and forth in front of his gaze. How could she even hold anything with those hands? They were so thin and delicate looking, it was hard to believe that they belonged to the "Great Ninja Yuffie." 

 "So what do you want to do?" Aerith asked the group. When everyone gave her confused looks she added, "To pass the time, I mean."

 "Let's play poker," Yuffie suggested. 

 "You're too young to play poker," Cloud told her with a sideways glance. 

 "I am not!" Yuffie retorted. "I'm seventeen!"

 Squall stared at her. "Seventeen?" he blurted before he could stop himself. She was sixteen not seventeen, right? Maybe she thought she had been with Sephiroth for a little _too_ long.

 "Umm…yeah…" Yuffie trailed off, feeling hurt on the inside. "It was my birthday on November 20," she added quietly.

 'Oh shit.' Squall felt like kicking himself. No wonder she had been so miserable those past days! He had forgot about her birthday. _'Stupid stupid STUPID!'_ She probably thought he was a total jerk. And he was. He vaguely remembered promising her to get her something for her birthday, after he had accidentally swung too hard and broke her wrist. She had been dying to get something from him for on special day.

 He didn't say anything when Yuffie drooped her head downwards. How could he? _'You're an idiot Leonhart,'_ his mind taunted him relentlessly. _'How could you forget it!? Imbecile!' _That question played over and over again in his mind. He barely knew how he had accomplished such a feat. Yuffie usually went wild when it neared her birthday, singing and dancing around the house. It was hard to ignore her. But those past few days had been uncomfortably quiet. She hadn't said a word about it. _'After she saw us come out from that meeting,'_ his conscience reminded him. 

 "It's ok that you…forgot," Yuffie fumbled for words. She really didn't believe that he would just forget like that. She had just consoled herself with the fact that he had a lot of things to deal with, mainly being Luxina. Even now the name sounded mournful upon her ears. "Y-you…had a lot on your mind." Of course she knew that wasn't true, she wasn't a mind reader. He could've just purposely chose to ignore her birthday, but she knew that Squall wasn't like that. 

 "I didn't forget." Squall lied. Then he wished he shouldn't have. What was his excuse? He had absolutely none. None that would be plausible anyways. 

 "You didn't?" Yuffie's eyes were ones of hope. That just made him feel even worse. The tenacious screams in his head didn't make the matter any easier. But then, why tell her now? If she found out he really had forgotten, she would sink into depression again, and who knew how long that would last. 

 "OK!" Yuffie's gung-ho attitude had returned with renewed vigor. Meaning that she would later question Squall about the whole birthday thing. Great. "We need some to do!" 

 "Maybe we should find a nice place to eat," Aerith suggested. "It would be nice for Kairi and a time to relax for all of us." 

 "We can do that later," Yuffie brushed it off. Although a nice restaurant sounded wholly tempting. "I mean something to do _now_. Some thing fun and kick-ass!" 

 Squall and Cloud watched helplessly as the two women huddled together, giggling and talking about some inside joke. God knows what they were planning. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence between the two men, Yuffie and Aerith finally broke apart, smiling as if they had invented the microwave. (A/N: Crappy analogy, I know. -_-;; I seriously couldn't think of anything else to say.)

 "We're going to play a game of gold fish!" Yuffie yelled proudly. Squall and Cloud stared incredulously at her.

 "Gold fish? Yuffie, that's a child's game!" Cloud groaned, covering his face with his hands. This was so ridiculous!

 "We know. But it's funny." Aerith was already pulling out a pack of cards and laying them out on the bed. 

 "Aerith I really don't think…" Cloud was cut short as Aerith picked up the lamp near the table and hit him with it. Cloud let out a strangled noise as the hard, carved cement made contact with his head. He figured that the world was ending, because Aerith, or anyone for that matter, never picked up a twenty pound source of light and used it to hit their boyfriend with it after they refused to play a game of cards. If this continued, Cloud feared that Aerith would need some serious anger management counseling. 

 "I wish I could do that," Yuffie sighed, trailing off. Squall moved away on instinct. Yuffie was known for spontaneously losing it, and he preferred not to be close to her when it happened. Suddenly, an odd look came across her face. Squall almost shot through the roof as Yuffie made the loudest and most disgusting noise in the world. It sounded like she was trying to laugh, scream and burp at the same time. Cloud probably would've fainted from laughter at that point, but he was too busy trying to get back on Aerith's good side. 

 "Yuffie..are you ok?" he awkwardly asked, as he watched the seventeen year old roll around on the bed from side to side, screaming with laughter. Several times she came near to falling off the bed, something that made Squall very edgy. And what about that obscene noise? She had sounded about ready to burst. He wouldn't put it past her if she decided to make the noise again, except it wouldn't come from her mouth. 

 "Don't worry," Aerith assured Squall as Yuffie got a hold of Squall's shirt and started to shake him wildly. _'Easy for you to say,'_ he thought miserably. She didn't have a ticking time bomb screaming and grabbing at her. "She used to do that a lot. I think I learned that she did it when she was in some kind of pain…." She stopped, thinking. "Yeah…like when she had her head stuck in the waterway bars for a day…she laughed the whole entire time. People even stopped to watch the girl who was stuck in the bars laughing her head off. Some even took pictures…I don't know why though….all it would've shown was her back and butt…"

 Aerith was now in her own world, humming to herself happily. Cloud was staring at the girl on the bed, who had stopped moving, just to listen to Aerith's reminiscence. Yuffie got her head stuck in between two bars for an entire day? For some reason it sounded extremely hard to believe. Ninja's just weren't the type of people who got their heads stuck in closed off waterways. Yuffie caught Cloud staring at her, and started to move from side to side again, much to Squall's disgruntlement. 

 "Hey Squall?" Yuffie asked loudly. Squall glanced at her. For some reason he just knew she was going to ask something unreasonable. "Why are turds pinched off at the end?" That was not a picture Squall needed in his mind.

"Uh Yuffie-"

 "Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your ass?"

 "Where do you get these…"

 "Why do old men have hair in their ears? Do fish get cramps after eating? Why do they call it your bottom when it's really the middle of your body? What would you do if your snot froze in you nose? W-"

 "YUFFIE! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I DON'T KNOW!" Yuffie looked shocked and somewhat wounded, but quickly recovered. 

 "I know why old men have hair in their ears…." A loud thud was heard as Squall fell off the bed.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

 He had made a mistake. 

 At first he had figured it would've been a good idea. At the time, it had seemed like a great idea. But to every beginning there was an end. And the result of his fatal sin was a worse punishment than he had expected. 

 Yes, it was him that had taken down the barriers. It was him that had resurrected the Heartless. The beseeching voices in his head told him that it was the right thing to do. He supposed that he was more venal than ever to believe such a atypical screeches. His asinine move might have well cost the lives of the only one that had corrupted him to do it in the first place. 

 Where was she now? How he longed to tell her he was sorry. Asking to be condoned would not be easy, be she would give it. Anything to hear her dulcet voice that told him that she had put it behind her, and that she didn't hate him. Of course, his illicit dream was far off, he would never get within fifty miles of her. But that one time…

 It didn't matter now. No matter how much it pained him to live with such remorse, he wouldn't stay dormant wallowing in his self-pity. He was completely useless if immobile. Now if only he knew how to warn them…to warn _her._

 The Heartless were made out of things beyond anyone's comprehension. To bottle such substances…was unforgivable. As was he. For he added another to his growing list of sins, a list he couldn't seem to halt even if he tried. 

 It was inside of her. He hadn't realized it at first, but that was only because of improper research. But now…she was in danger… _'Must warn..warn…w…' _

 He was weakened. Terribly weakened. His body cried out for rest, but he fought to shake off the weariness. He had to finish this. He would be no use to her if he showed her only half accurate findings. She needed the whole truth. It had to be laid before her, the way obvious in her beautiful eyes. Yes..he would save her..if she could just forgive him enough. If she wouldn't, then she would die. 

~*~*~*~*~

  After some horribly descriptive stories of Yuffie's theories of why old men have hair in their ears, they managed to get halfway through the card game without her doing anything else unpredictable. Of course there was that one time that she had tried to cheat and gone to the bathroom to throw away her extra card but ended up coagulating the toilet with the wrong one. Cloud had figured out what she was doing, and before she could go back to try and get it, he had gone to the bathroom himself, flushing the card down with the rest of his…contents. So now Yuffie sat with one unmatched card, her hand getting more filled up by the minute of newly picked ones. 

 "I think one of you is lying," she whined. "How can I have all these cards and no matches?" 

 "Tough luck?" Aerith asked innocently. The young shinobi glared at her in childish distress. 

 "Tough luck my ass," she shot back under her breath.

 Meanwhile, Squall thought this was about as fun as watching paint dry. True, he was winning, but it didn't seem like a victory. He was bored out of his mind, longing to do anything but this aggravating game of hell. He could've been training right now, but no…

 Yuffie had started to get a nasty habit for outbursts because at that moment she yelled so loudly it almost made Squall just throw his cards down and leave the room.

 "YOU GUYS HAVE A WATERBED!?" she demanded, pushing down on the squishy mattress obviously. "Squall why don't we have a water bed?"

 "Because they have a suite," he answered, taking the first thing that came into his mind. So he didn't know if they had a suite or not, it was enough to get her calm again. Hopefully. 

  "I've never heard of a suite with a waterbed," she muttered. "I want a suite," she added, tugging on Squall's arm. He just shook his head, hoping she would take the hint. She didn't.

 "Why are you saying no? Is it because it costs a lot? Or is it only for couples?" she forced herself not to blush on this one, something that had become more challenging as she hung around the man more. "Or do you have a thing against waterbeds?'

 "We already bought a room, we don't need to buy another one just so you can have a waterbed," Squall informed monotonously. Her persistent questions were tiring him out. 

 "Ummm ok…."

 Yuffie retired the cards onto the table, and climbed up onto the moving bed, pushing her weight down in several areas. Squall was right. They didn't need another room, she was just being selfish. She stood up shakily, and started to jump on the bed, her mind slowly opening to random thoughts. Her ebon hair (A/N: I changed it so that Yuffie has black hair and black eyes, since that's what it looks like in KH. Besides, it has been hard having Cloud the only one without brown hair.) bounced in a wild rhythm around her head as she swung her arms unconsciously. 

 Why did she feel so tired? It was a foreign feeling to her. She found herself gasping for breath as she jumped, clutching her self for support. Her hands flew up to her chest, which felt tight and constrained. She couldn't breath. She couldn't see either. Her vision was blurring horribly, leaving only faded out colors of her friends. Her ears became conscious of the slow breathing echoing through out her pained body, and suddenly she couldn't stand anymore. She couldn't do anything. She felt paralyzed, alive, but unmoving. She let out a suppressed sigh and fainted.

~*~*~*~*~*~

 Squall

 What was I supposed to do? She was hurt, now more than ever. And we didn't even know how badly. I hadn't really noticed it at first. She had seemed so laidback as she jumped onto that bed, hopping around on it like it was air. It had been a simple, innocent act. And it led to…this. 

 Was she hurt? Dying? I had to know. I would never forgive myself if I lost another person in my life. Once again she was driving me past the brink, leaving me, too, gasping for breath. She was like a sister to me. At times I longed to shut her up and make her go away, but once she'd gone, I longed to have her back. It was a constant turmoil that I faced everyday, gnawing turbulently at my insides. I hated her…I…loved her? 

 Love. It was such a complicated thing. A tangible feeling that people often sought to indulge in. One of the reasons that I had chosen to block out such a feeling. I did not feel the need to return anyone's ardour, for I forced back any who openly showed it to me. Luxina had been one of them. I had no attachment or chains binding me to her. She, on the other hand, had believed in something in me that wasn't there. My heart had been blackened by the Heartless themselves. I had long considered myself incurable. But even as I fought to keep my mental barriers from shattering, I should've known that they had already been broken by someone years ago. 

 Yuffie…her name struck a cord deep within me. She had done something to me, something that made even me fear. Sometimes I thought I had figured the young paradox out, but then she would do something totally atypical, that I would be left to figure her out again. She would often act like she had feelings for me, although I never mentioned to her how obvious it was in my eyes. I had come to think that she had a crush on me, which grew from petty to serious. But other times she acted rudely, ignoring me completely and choosing her own instincts. She would yell at me, then go off, forcing off her angry tears. So I really had no idea how she felt. 

 Cloud had called me blind once, something that shocked me. I hadn't understood it, and I still didn't. How could I be blind, when I was doing everything in my power to see? But he insisted that I wasn't looking at the bigger picture, and I was only looking at the world the way I wanted to see it. But that wasn't completely true. Because if I was looking at the world in my way, then I would be so miserable. 

 Yuffie. I couldn't get her out of my mind. Something was wrong with her. She was sick, I knew that. But with what, no one could figure out. I had pestered the doctor with enough questions. He had already sent me out to the hall to "calm down". If I went barging back in, asking questions, he would surely exile me from her room completely. Wait wait wait…

 I watched, a stoic look on my face, as Cloud and Aerith emerged from the room, shutting the white, clean door behind them. They looked like they had seen a ghost. I examined both of their pallid faces, silently demanding an answer. 

 "Tell me," I whispered, my words coming out more strangled and harsh than expected. My lungs felt constricted, and I wouldn't be able to relax until I heard her condition. 

 "Yuffie.." was the only thing that Aerith whispered, covering her face in her hands. She was sobbing. That was a bad thing. No one sobbed when someone was sick. Distressed a little, yeah, but not sobbing. But somehow I knew why. I didn't want to admit it, thinking if I didn't form the thought than it wouldn't be real. Maybe I really was looking at the world the way I wanted it. I didn't want to face the truth, the bitter irony. 

 "Squall…I…don't know what to do," Cloud let out a heavy sigh, wrapping his arms around Aerith. What? I felt like screaming, breaking into an uncontrollable rage. But I forcefully withheld it. If Yuffie was hurt that badly, she would freak out even more if I showed how weak I was being. 

 "Just tell me." It was an order. I hated suspense. It was just a pathetic way to make the ending seem more surreal. But it didn't work with me. I wanted to answer, now. Or so I thought. 

 "Yuffie is dying."

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: Aww…another cliffhanger. That just sucks. But I am exhausted and I had to get this chapter out. ::cackles maniacally:: The story hasn't even begun yet… 


	10. Fluffy Interlude

Bring Me To Life 

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters or locations. 

Chapter Ten: Fluffy Interlude 

 Yuffie stared out the stained window, wet with rivulets of rain streaking down its front. The sun was blotted out with large menacing clouds of a miserable gray, covering the world in its woe. The storm had been going on for days, and had yet to show signs of letting up. 

 How long had she been here? Years, it seemed. But no, Sora had come in a two hours prior and told her it had been about a week. One week of hell, at that. She had done nothing since that day when she had fainted in Aerith and Cloud's bedroom. The only people she saw were from the frequent visits from her doctor, and the even more so visits from her friends.  

 "How long have you been there?" Yuffie asked distractedly.

 "A few minutes," Squall replied softly, benign movements bringing him to her side. Yuffie tensed slightly under the thin white blankets that covered her lower body. He was getting harder and harder to track every time. 

 "How did you open the door?" she continued, not breaking eye contact with the window. 

 "It was already open."

 "Liar." Squall stared at her amusedly. 

 "I know. You're getting better at it."

 "At what?" Yuffie asked monotonously. 

 "Me," Squall stated simply. A small smile graced her lips. Yes, in these past few days she had begun to understand him more. Whether it was just her keen insights or that he was just opening up, she did not know. And she did not wish to. Everything between them seemed perfect the way it was.

 "So how have you been?" the brunette asked, already knowing the answer.

 "Shitty," she answered, the same one she had been using ever since she got stuck in the small hospital bed. 

 "Figures as much," he muttered, staring at the needle that was slowly bringing blood out of her arm. It took practically half the staff the calm her down so they could take off her gloves. She had downright refused to wear the light blue hospitals dresses, saying they were downright "grossness." He could see the outline of her over-large shorts poking out from under the sheets. "Cid said we can leave once the storm clears up," he added, staring straight at her. She turned her head to stare back. _'Oh yeah…about that…'_

 "Yeah, and that'll only be a million years from now," she said seriously, even though her eyes were filled with mirth. "Just my luck that I'm the only one with a venereal case like this, huh?" Squall didn't answer, just turned his head away abruptly. His anger was rising once more.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

 _"I HAVE WHAT!?" _

_"Yuffie..please…calm down…" _

_"NO! AERITH LET ME GO!" _

_ The nurse and doctor moved back on instinct. Yuffie pointed her finger at the doctor, demanding to hear it again._

_ "W-well," the doctor said shakily, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You have a venereal disease. It remains unidentified at the m-moment.." his voice tethered out at the end. _

_ "UNIDENTIFIED!?!" Yuffie screamed from her standing point on the hospital bed. Aerith, Cloud, Sora, Squall and everyone else was standing around her, trying to coax her off. She didn't pay any attention to them though. She was too furious. "WHY CAN'T YOU IDENTIFY IT!? YOU'RE A FREAKING DOCTOR!!" She let out a plaintive wail as Cloud, Cid, and Squall forcefully pulled her down and kept her against the bed, Cid having the hardest part of holding her legs. Once it became obvious she couldn't move, she continued her rants, her voice climbing higher than Aerith's and Sora's, who were trying to calm her. "WHAT THE HELL IS A VENEREAL DISEASE!?"_

_ The doctor moved closer, albeit slightly, seeing that she was literally tied down by three men. "Have you had intercourse lately?" he answered her question with another question. Yuffie wanted to burst. How dare he ask her a question like that, and not even answer her own! Well, might as well give him what he wants._

_ "YES I HAVE HAD INTERCOURSE LATELY!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Half the people in the room blushed. The doctor would certainly be the blunt end of the other workers jokes once this was over. "I GOT RAPED DAMMIT! RAPPPEEEEEDDDD!!!"_

_ "Yes…that would be the source then. Do you know if he…or she has been with any other partners?" _

_ "LIKE I WOULD KNOW!!!"_

_ "Mrs. Kisaragi…."_

_ "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT!" Squall covered her gaping mouth to quiet her. She considered viciously biting it, if it weren't for the death glare he was giving her. The doctor, let out a sigh into the silent air, spoke up once more, determined to get his point across._

_ "A venereal disease is a disease transmitted by having sex. Apparently, we aren't even sure if what you have is a venereal disease.." Yuffie wished they'd stop saying that word. "There is an unknown substance in your blood stream, from what I am told, is extracted from the Heartless. Your friends told me that you were drugged, and I believe the drug was what put the Heartless…blood into you. Having intercourse accelerated the drug and caused it to back fire. Obviously the drug was made for only one body, so having another's cells inside of you caused it to go haywire."_

_ 'Cells?' Yuffie thought darkly. She knew what he was talking about. 'You mean sperms, you sorry excuse for a doctor.' She would've begun to scream again but didn't get the chance to as a syringe found it's way into her arm, drifting her into unconsciousness. _

_~*~*~*~*~*~_

 "So what planet is it?" Yuffie asked, fiddling with her hair. Squall watched her tepid movements with sharp eyes. 

 "They said we should visit the Deep Jungle, but I doubt that the answer is there…" he trailed off softly. She was still fiddling with her ebon locks. She would stroke her hand through them, then play with the tips. Over and over again. Before he knew what he was doing, Squall reached over and pulled her hand away from her hair, wrapping his own hand around hers. She gave him a startled look before turning away, in hopes of hiding her blush. 

 _'Stupid Squall'_ her mind whirled endlessly. _'I can't even control myself around him anymore.' _Trying to push the thoughts of his warm hand over her own, she focused on his words. _'The Deep Jungle. What will we find there?' _ 

 "Squall?" she whispered quietly. Gods, she felt so foolish. Once she knew that she held his attention, she uttered something so quietly that wasn't sure if he heard it right.

 "What?" 

 "I'm scared," she said louder, her hand trembling beneath his. She had just left herself wide open and vulnerable, and what Squall would say would decide whether she'd come out looking like an idiot, or just a scared teen. She didn't expect him to be the one to look like an idiot.

 "So am I," he said softly, his other hand sweeping through his long hair. Yuffie resisted the urge to lean over and touch the billowing mane herself. She always had this foolish notion that the tips would be hard and painful to touch, since that's what they looked like. Of course she had abandoned that thought long ago, and now she just wondered how it felt. She longed to feel the texture slide between her fingers. But then that would never happen, right? Squall probably would think she had gone crazy if she ever touched him like that. 

 "The great Squall Leonhart, scared? Well, the world really is falling apart," Yuffie said with a wry grin. Squall just rolled his eyes, having long gotten used to her offending manner. 

 "I'm serious."

 "I know you're serious. You're always serious," Yuffie pointed out. She still couldn't turn around to meet his gaze, and his hand was making her thoughts coagulate into a huge blob in her mind. 

 "Yuffie look at me," he commanded. He wanted to see her expression, to see what she was feeling. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help it if she was as easy to read as a book.

 "N-no…" she stuttered out clumsily. Whether it was her own inability to control her will or not, the next moment she had her head turned and was staring into his deep eyes. Within seconds she was faltering from under his penetrating gaze. How did he manage to get his eyes the way they were? They remained a solid brown, yet behind them seemed to lurk billowing flames of garnet, giving him somewhat of an ardent look. She suddenly found great interest in his shoulder, which she was now putting her whole being into concentrating on. Squall watched her under heavy lidded eyes. 

 "This is all Sephiroth's fault," Yuffie started. Her eyes were still fixated on his right shoulder. "If he hadn't given me the drug…and raped me." She slammed her small fist into the flimsy hospital pillow, her eyes diverting themselves to stare at her clenched palm. "I'm so naïve." 

 "…"

 Yuffie let out a tedious sigh, and plopped back down onto the bed, defeated. Squall had removed his hand and was rubbing his temples violently, as if he was going to rip them off the next moment. Yuffie sank even deeper into the bed at the thought of him losing it again. His temper had changed from ebbing waves to a roaring tsunami in less than a few days. He seemed on the borderline of suicide, in the shinobi's opinion. She noticed his movements changed to massaging his forehead.

 "Do you have a migraine again?" she inquired, gripping her hands together to stop them from twitching with anxiety. She wanted to leave this hospital bed now! For almost a week had she been toiling away in here, never allowed out. Of course she had attempted escape, and was rewarded with a group of angry staff, her friends, and her infernal doctor, whom she was convinced was a forty year old desperate virgin out to get her. 

 "It's just a minor headache." 

 "What's the difference?" 

 "Migraines are more painful."

 "Whatever you say," she answered distractedly. She could hear footsteps coming towards them. Oh great, her doctor was back. She prayed that it was the woman instead of that annoying man. Seconds later the door squeaked open, just as she had predicted. Thankfully, and to Yuffie's joy, it was a woman, with long black hair tied into a painful looking bun at the back of her head. She wore thing glasses that were set on the bridge of her nose, and held a clipboard with Yuffie's files on it. But aside from that, the woman was beautiful. Yuffie quickly stole a look to Squall to see if he was looking at the doctor. She couldn't help it, but she had started to develop this sort of possessive nature over him, something that festered more and more everyday. But he wasn't looking at the doctor. Yuffie wanted to say something to him, like congratulations, but that would've sounded down right stupid. 

 "Sir I need to ask you to leave," the doctor clipped at him. Squall frowned slightly and stayed unmoving.

 "Why?" he asked. He had always been allowed to stay before, what was different now? Maybe she had a thing against men being in the same room with women when it had to do with their bodies. _'But all she's going to do is perform a standard check up on her,'_ his mind thought confusedly. There was nothing personal about it; Yuffie didn't even remove any clothing. 

 "Because sir," the doctor's voice was strained and irritated, which matched exactly what Squall was looking like at the moment. "She needs a physical report, whereas she will have to take off all her clothes, and I do not appreciate a man being in the room. Most women do not feel comfortable with a man scrutinizing them while they are nude." Squall wanted to snap back that he would never scrutinize Yuffie, particularly when she was naked, but held his tongue. Slowly he got up, slamming the door behind him a little more violently than needed. Yuffie watched him go, wanting to burst into laughter. _'Pretty pissy about that doctor,'_ she thought amusedly. She definitely wouldn't have to worry about any romance blooming there. 

 Yuffie stared at the doctor in question, who looked just as huffy about Squall's leave as he was. Yuffie heard her mutter something along the lines of "cretin" before turning expectantly toward the ninja. 

 "Stand up please," the doctor asked, now taking on a monotone voice. Yuffie did so, almost falling over in the process. There was still a needle in her arm, something that bothered her greatly. What kind of hospital made their patients stand up and take off their clothes with a needle still in their arm? But she didn't have time to complain because, much to her horror, the doctor was taking off her clothes for her, her other glove and scarf laying forgotten on the floor. Once she reached Yuffie's tank top straps, the ninja finally freaked out, slapping away the doctor's hand.

 "I can undress myself thank you very much," Yuffie snapped, her cheeks red. She never liked doctors. She had always believed that they were all pervs, asking everyone to take off their clothes and touching them in inappropriate places. 

 "Young lady, you would've never even thought about taking your clothes off if I hadn't done it for you," the doctor said back, ignoring the anger and sarcasm in the teenager's voice. Yuffie felt glared indignantly at the floor, too chicken to do it to the doctor's face. Slowly the flushed ninja grabbed the bottom of her tank top again, but stopped.

 "Gawd, do I have to do this?" Yuffie whined, unable to keep the childishness out of her voice. The doctor shook her head. 

 "Ms. Kisaragi, if you had just put on the hospital dress like all the other patients in this building, then you wouldn't be doing this in the first place."

 "Well can I have a damn dress then?" Yuffie demanded, not taking any chances. How did she know that this doctor was interested in women or not?  

 "As I recall, you said they were gross," the doctor clipped, just like she had with Squall. Yuffie scrunched up her nose. Maybe she would reconsider having a male doctor. This one was a pain in the arse! 

 "Grossness," Yuffie correctly glumly. As quick as possible she removed the clothing, when the woman had finally turned her back of course. 

 The doctor turned back around in time to see Yuffie wrapping the hospital blanket securely around her body. "Ms. Kisaragi, again, I cannot perform the checkup with that thing on you," she said, tapping her high-heeled shoes loudly against the spotless floor. 

 _'Ugly, snide woman,'_ Yuffie grated in her mind. She considered screaming for Squall to come in, knowing that he was waiting right outside. Or at least attempt to just to see the look on the woman's face. But no, she withheld the urge. Besides, it would've caused her more embarrassment than anyone else. 

With an angry glare, she let go of the blanket, watching miserably as it pooled around her feet. _'This is just my luck,'_ Yuffie thought grumpily, feeling as if she was the most antagonized person in the whole world. She was being checked and prodded by this direful woman, she had a venereal disease that had no known cure, and, yeah, she had a gigantic crush on Squall Leonhart, whom was going to be escorting her around half the galaxy looking for an antidote. With that said, Yuffie felt it was her right to have the title of The Most Antagonized Person In The World.

 Aside from Yuffie's comments and useless whining, the check up went fairly smoothly. The ninja was finally lifted from her burden as she slipped back on her fingerless glove and climbed back into bed, fully dressed. The doctor left, with a somewhat annoyed look on her face, much to Yuffie's amusement. The doctor had barely had time to close the door, when Squall pushed past her. The woman left in a complete huff. 

 "Good going Squall," Yuffie praised him, more than happy to be rid of the woman. Squall just snorted, something very un-Squall-like of him. "So, back in here already? I knew that no one could resist my tempting beauty," Yuffie gloated. Squall resisted the urge to snort again. If he did, Yuffie would never stop pestering him about some lame joke she would make up, like how he was turning into a pig, or something to that effect. 

 "Sooo…." Yuffie drawled out. Squall watched her pensively, wondering what was going on in that demented brain of hers. 

 "So what?" Squall responded back, his face showing complete apathy. 

 "So…how was your day?" Squall stared blankly at her. Yuffie stared back, trying to widen her eyes as much as possible. She eventually gave up as her eyes began to sting, and she crumpled in a fit of giggles, resisting the urge to scream with laughter. Squall watched her wild actions, his mind not really registering what she was trying to do. 

 "You didn't answer my question yet, Squallie," Yuffie giggled. Squall's eyes narrowed considerably. 

 "Squall."

 "Squallie."

 "Squall."

 "Leon." 

 "Fine. Squallie." Squall grimaced as the name graced his lips. God, what a horrid name! But it was better than Leon, in his opinion. Besides, 'Squallie' made her happy, so he let it be. 

 "Am I going to have to repeat that question dodo, or are you goin' to answer it?" Yuffie asked yet again. He made it a point to ignore her comment. He had no idea why she would want to know about how his day went. She had never cared about such worthless things. 

 "Fairly normal," he responded somewhat awkwardly. No one had ever asked him a question such as hers, and it gave him an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach to answer it. That and because of her persistent question, it made him realize how lame he made his days out to be. All he did these days were visit Yuffie, train, eat, sleep (barely, he was kept awake with nightmares of Yuffie dieing in that hospital, and him not discovering until it was too late), and mope around Traverse Town, looking like a total heartless jerk. He really was wasting his life away. It had been, quite literally, nine years since he even considered the word 'fun'. 

 "Ok," Yuffie shrugged off his answer. Her blackened eyes surveyed the room with detached interest; she had seen everything there was to see. "Squall?"

 "Yes?"

 "I'm hungry."

 "You were fed two hours ago," Squall said evenly, willing her to look him in the eye. She had developed a nasty habit for staring at anything _but_ his eyes. He had intended to find out, but, apparently, she wasn't willing to tell. She would change the subject in an instant, acting as if he hadn't asked it in the first place. 

 "Yeah well a person can get hungry in two hours." The brunette looked at her, pushing his irritating bangs out of his eyes simultaneously. 

 "What do you want me to do? The nurse won't come in with your food for awhile, and you're not allowed out of bed."

 Yuffie looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Well…" she made her best puppy-dog face, pouting like a little child. _'Please work…I'm starving!' _"Can you go down to the cafeteria and get me something?" For a few minutes he said nothing, and Yuffie feared that he would never say a word and just decide to get up and leave; that's what he always did when she asked for something he didn't want to give. 

 "….Fine." Yuffie almost jumped up and kissed him right then and there, but held back the temptation. A good and completely delectable temptation at that. 

 Twenty minutes after he had left, Squall came back in, carrying a large brown paper bag. Yuffie stared at it, resisting the urge to drool. _'Yeah that would make me look so graceful,'_ she thought with an unladylike snort. _'Squall looks at me and I'm all slobberin' all over myself.'_

 "Did you get the brownies?" Yuffie asked immediately as he set the bag down on the small desk next to her temporary bed. She had somewhat of an uncontrollable obsession with the little brown devils, and could never pass up a chance to eat them. 

 "No," Squall said coolly, keeping a straight face as Yuffie's contorted into, to Squall's amusement, one of horror. 

 "Why not!" She felt like she would die if she didn't eat any sweets soon. She lived on sweets, and without them she was deprived of her own gung-ho. Squall didn't respond, just busied himself with staring into the bag full of food. Finally he spoke, producing the object of her desire at the same time.

 "I was kidding," he said gently, as Yuffie's eyes bulged out of her head. 

 "Did you just make a joke?" Yuffie asked dimly. _'Maybe I'm dreaming,'_ she thought. _'First he said he was scared and now he's cracking off jokes? He should be the one in the hospital bed, not me.' _

 "If you call that a joke…then yes." 

 _'What are you doing?!'_ his mind demanded of him. He refused to answer. Having a little chat with his conscience wasn't something he was very fond of. That and, apparently, he had no idea what he was doing. True, he had become fond of the minute ninja, but that had never pushed him to do something so atypical of him. If he kept this up, she would start expecting certain things from him, something that he wasn't looking forward to. Was she that important to him that he would risk his reputation just to make her happy? 

 An ardent feeling searing across his forehead snapped him out of his thoughts. Yuffie was leaning over, holding her lithe hand against his forehead, a skeptical look on her face. On instinct, his body went completely rigid from the contact. Not many people dared touch him, which was somewhat of a downside. His lack of exposure to such closeness caused him to clam up whenever he was approached with the situation. And unfortunately, it was usually Yuffie who presented it. He waited patiently until she was satisfied with her examination of his temperature, and slid back under her covers, staring at his chest, as always. 

 "Ok, what did you do with him." Yuffie stated. She was hiding her mouth under the covers for some unknown reason. Squall's face was one of bewilderment.

 "Who?" he asked, obviously confused. Yuffie shuffled around in her bed, burrowing deeply into the sheets. 

 "Squall…what did you do with him?"

 "…"

 "Where is he?"

 "…"

 "Did you steal him?"

 "I'm right here Yuffie."

 Yuffie shook her head violently, making Squall wonder if her neck was going to snap any moment. "You're lying."

 "Are you feeling ok?" he asked, now feeling genuinely concerned. If she really didn't believe that he was Squall, than they had a serious problem. He figured that maybe it was a side effect of her sickness. "Do you want me to get the doctor?"

 "No…I want you to give me Squall back!" Her eyes were glowing now, either from unshed tears or maniacal anger. 

 "Yuffie…."

 "ALIEN!!" At this point, Yuffie's abysmal memory was beginning to bother him. But before he could do any actions, she guffawed loudly, making no attempt to cover up the obvious racket she was making.

 "I had you fooled, didn't I?" Squall's peremptory gaze told her enough. The young ninja let out another peal of laughter, her laughter seemingly idyllic and very out of place. He had expected her jokes to become mundane after awhile, but for some reason they never failed to amuse him. 

 "Sorry…the look on yer face was priceless!" Squall made a staid face. He was very high maintenance when it came to grammar, for some reason unknown to even him. It was difficult to talk to Yuffie at times because she said things so quickly and grammatically wrong that he could never understand what she really said. She could've been telling him about how Cid wore yellow teddy bear undies for all he knew.

 "You shouldn't be playing such tricks in a hospital," he reprimanded her calmly. He caught a hint of a pout from her before continuing. "People might mistake your jokes as something serious."

 "You're such a stiff," she practically interrupted him, looking pensively at the wall. _'He's so asinine!_' 

 Yuffie suddenly grabbed a remote control on her bedside, clicking on the TV in front of her. Squall let out a sigh, turning his face away from the vapid piece of technology. He didn't understand what was so interesting about television sets; all the shows were useless and brain warping. He looked up in time to see Yuffie flip to a talk show, with two women arguing furiously on it, one man sitting in the middle. A feeling of distaste filled him. Yuffie noticed his sour look and looked back and forth from him and the depraved show. 

 "You're not into stuff like this?"

 "You know the answer to that already," he said tepidly, fighting off the impetuous urge to unplug the set. 

 "Well you should at least _try_ to like something on TV. There are other things I'm sure you'll be interested in." 

 "That's doubtful." 

 "Whatever you say Squallie." 

 A painfully poignant light shone into his eyes. Glancing at the window, he saw that the cloud's had parted, leaving the beaming sun to show up once again. 

 "The storm is over," he informed her, knowing she was too into the show to notice such a detail about her surroundings. She didn't answer for well over five minutes.

 "Will you stop becoming one with the television! The storm is over. Besides, I do not find it appropriate for you to be watching a bunch of shit."

 "Shit? Is that your new word? Cause I've heard you say worse before…but I won't say it of course 'cause then you'd get all angry…but you said some really bad ones when Cloud beat you that one time…and when you saw Sephiroth…" She continued to talk in that same speedy fashion, Squall not even trying to understand her.

 Their so-called "quest" for a cure was about to begin.

~*~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: GOMEN!!! I am so sorry this chapter took so damn long. I have been really distracted. Yes, and I'm also sorry this chapter is so short. I wanted to put them leaving in the next chapter. 

 Also, please ignore the chapter problem. If you haven't noticed, it says I have one chapter more than I really do. I have tried to fix this, but obviously it didn't work. 


	11. What's a Little Tension Between Friends?

Bring Me to Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the locations and characters. They all belong to their respective owners. 

Chapter Eleven: What's a little tension between friends?

 Riku tossed the navigation gummi from hand to hand, deftly moving it away from Sora's hands every time he tried to grab it. Sora was making loud complains, but Riku wasn't paying attention to him. Sora would eventually give up after three or four swipes and return to the cockpit to aid Cid with the controls and baggage anyways. 

 "Hey Riku."

 The silver-haired boy turned around, forcing a smile onto his face. Her voice, even now, made his insides ache. Kairi walked next to him and took the gummi out of his hands without any fight on his part. She examined it with detached interest, fingering the squishy substance. 

 "I wish it was still raining," she started, trying to work the staid Riku into a conversation. 

 "Why?" he asked, staring up at the cloudless sky. "The day seems fine to me." The temperature was in the mid eighties, making everyone break into an easy sweat. It was eleven o' clock in the morning, and the sun had been beating on them mercilessly for two hours as they prepared the ship for Squall's and Yuffie's departure. 

 "So Yuffie won't have to leave." She said it with a trace of sadness. _'Like you care,'_ Riku found himself thinking. He then mentally kicked himself for saying such things about her, even if she couldn't hear it. The only reason he was angry with her was because that she had chosen Sora over him, even though he had technically given her over to Sora in the end. He had expected some sort of struggle from her, but apparently not. 

 "Who the ninja? She'll be fine," Riku said rather gruffly, taking the gummi block out of Kairi's minute hands. "She has that…guy."

 "Squall?" Kairi informed with a grin.

 "Whatever. And stop smiling like that; you look like Sora." _'Actually, I want you to stop smiling completely.'_

 "Is that a compliment or not?" 

 A loud thumping noise was heard as Sora fell from the ship onto the ground, Goofy's and Donald's combined weight making his eyes close to popping out of his head. 

 "Compliment," Riku said with a laugh as Kairi slapped him, hurrying over to the dog pile. Once again without a person to speak to, Riku quieted himself and silently ruminated. 

 Frankly, he was jealous of Squall. He hadn't realized this at first, and when it had come up he had forced it to the back of his mind. But he couldn't ignore it now. The thought was weighing too heavily on his mind, and it would be foolish to ignore it.

 Squall had many things that Riku longed for, even though Squall didn't show any sign that he acknowledged them. For one thing, there was his weapon. He was known for carrying the Gunblade, and there wasn't one person in Traverse Town that hadn't heard of him at least once. Riku, on the other hand, had no real weapon that he was accustomed to. First he had used a wooden sword, then the sword Maleficent had given him, then the Dark Keyblade, and now the Dream Sword, which was technically Mickey's. None of them were used for more than five battles, save for the wooden sword, which was used almost constantly due to Tidus and Sora's persistence. 

 Another reason that he was envious of the man was because he had freedom, something that Riku still sought. Squall was going to get to travel around the galaxy, even if it was for an important and life-threatening cause. But he would be free. He didn't have anyone telling him to do, or at least no one that Riku hadn't seen yet. But then, he also noticed that maybe Squall did need someone to tell him what to do at times, since when he didn't he seemed to turn into a total ass. 

 Lastly, was because of Yuffie. He didn't feel anything for the young ninja; it was what she felt for Squall that bothered him. Squall probably didn't care if she had a crush on him or not, but at least he had _someone_ that liked him romantically. It was obvious that he was the first one she turned to for acceptance. Riku noticed that when they were younger, Kairi might have felt something for him, but as they got older she strayed from him and became instantly attached to the innocent and optimistic Sora. But it was better that way, he supposed. They were obviously made for each other, something that not even he could stop. 

 "RIKU!" Sora yelled as Riku threw the gummi into his opposite hand at last minute, noting that Sora had been moving toward him, thinking that he hadn't been paying attention. "I need that block so Cid can install it! It's the last thing we need to do! Come on!" Riku watched him pout and gave him a cool look. That look turned to one of pain as Sora forcefully kicked him in the shins.

 "You…owww…." He said, handing the triumphant Sora the gummi. He ignored Sora's next words, bending down to rub his right shin. Whatever he was saying, it probably didn't hold much importance anyways. 

 Riku peered closely at the bruise. Sora was stronger than he thought. It felt like he had thrown a rock at it, something that had happened to him before. _'Oh great it's turning purple.'_ He would probably have a huge red bump on there in the morn-

 "Are you even listening?" Sora asked with annoyance. Riku gave a calm 'no' and continued to rub his shin. Sora sighed and watched his ministrations for a few minutes, choosing until after Riku finally paid him mind and turned up to him expectantly to speak once more. "I said that Squall talked to me yesterday and told me about the Heartless that Sephiroth seemed to be controlling." Sora paused, noticing the evident shiver than ran down Riku's body at the mention of the Heartless. "So he told me that it's our job-you, I and Cloud- to watch out for Traverse Town and it's inhabitants."

 "So the Heartless are back…" he murmured, trailing off. His insides shook with rage but he suppressed it with many years practice. "Who's Sephiroth?" Riku suddenly asked lamely, feeling extremely uninformed. He had never really bothered to ask about what had happened, since he had been too busy avoiding Sora and Kairi. 

 "Sephiroth? Umm…well he's this guy with silver hair…" Sora stopped and stared at Riku's own silver locks then to his impatient greenish-blue eyes, deciding that it would be harder to describe the general than he first thought. "And…he has this big sword called the Masamune…and he's…uhh…tall…"

 "Sora," Riku interrupted him, making it obvious that Sora wasn't any help. "Just tell me who he is to _us._"

 "Oh yeah..ok…well he's probably the strongest enemy we have, he's fast, and if you ask Yuffie she'll tell you he's a perverted psycho maniac. But, I think you can get the most information from Cloud."

 "Why?" Truth be told, Riku had never even said more than five words to the blonde. Just going up to him and asking him about Sephiroth would feel awkward and stupid, and Riku had no idea what Cloud's feelings were toward Sephiroth. 

 "I don't know really…just that they have crossed paths before," Sora said, scratching his head in thought. Riku just shook his head.

 "It's ok, I don't need to know that bad." Sora gave him a weird look. "Not that I don't like Cloud or anything," he quickly covered up, hoping that Sora wouldn't get the impression that he hated the blonde. 

 "Aww it's ok," Sora brushed it off. "I know you don't like blondes."

 "_Excuse me?_ I don't have any problems with blondes!"

 "Whatever you say-ok I'm coming!" Sora yelled at Donald, who had been yelling obscenely at him for the last two minutes. "Stupid rabid duck…" Sora muttered angrily as he walked toward the ship, aiding the morose bird. Riku just watched, still feeling uncomfortable around Goofy and Donald. They too, seemed to show a bitter resentment of some sort toward him, and he could tell why. To them, he was still the back stabber, who had been perfectly willing to give into the darkness, even though it almost cost him his life and the lives of his friends. He accepted their judgment without question, knowing that they would just have to get used to him over time. Nothing he said could convince them that he wasn't going to turn on someone. Besides, he was too buried in self-loathing to bother much of paying attention to others contempt toward him, if there was any. He would just have to hope that they accepted him as he was.

~*~*~*~

 A massive amount of shorts, tanks, and underclothes were thrown onto the floor, covering almost the entire hotel room floor. The clothes were quickly picked up and folded by thin hands, so that soon the room started to fill up with towers of folded clothing and accessories. The luggage that was to carry the clothes seemed to shrink by the minute as the number of clothes seemingly grew.

 "Aerith!" Yuffie exclaimed with slight frustration as the girl took out yet another shopping bag, dumping its contents onto the floor and preceding to fold them too. "Where did you get all of these?"

 "Stores," Aerith answered shortly. "I got bored and decided that you needed some clothes for the trip. I don't think you would want to be walking around Squall wearing the same clothes every day."

 "I have clothes!" Yuffie said defensively, staring at a corner, which was covered shirts of many colors. Her eyes surveyed the room. "GAWD! How bored were you!?"

 "Pretty bored."

 "Well yeah you had to be 'cause people normally don't go shopping for their friends when their friends aren't even there!! How do you even know that this stuff fits me!"

 "Oh Yuffie, stop complaining. We've gone shopping together before; I know you size," Aerith answered patiently, not even looking at the ninja.

 "How do you know I haven't gotten bigger? I can feel my butt…I feel like I have a garbage can attached to it."

 "You're just saying that because you got Squall to bring you brownies everyday. It's your fault if you got rounder."

 "He did not bring me brownies everyday!" Yuffie said, sitting down next to Aerith on the carpeted floor. "If he did I would probably be happier than I am now." 

 "You look pretty happy to me."

 "Don't contradict me."

 Aerith handed Yuffie a pile of shorts, pointing to the luggage. Yuffie made a face but crawled over to it anyways, shoving the clothes in unceremoniously. Yuffie turned around to be met with a disapproving Aerith.

 "What?" she asked, irritated. "It's my clothes, not yours. Like Squall will care if they're wrinkled."

 "You know it saves more space if it's folded."

 "I know."

 Yuffie managed to stop nagging Aerith for about five minutes, occupying herself with watching a group of kids doing hopscotch out side the window below. Yuffie's mind drifted back, thinking about the last time she had played such games. It took several minutes contemplation that she never really had bothered to participate in the childish sport. When she was younger, she had always been with Squall, Cloud, and Aerith-training to become just like them. 

 Her eyes wandered back to Aerith, who was folding a pair of skirts. Yuffie bit back a retort, knowing that Aerith would probably just give up with her and leave her alone in the room to do the packing. _'I wish my hair was that long…'_ she thought, staring at Aerith's sweeping hair. Yuffie had begun to grow it out, but it still looked the same to her. Ever since she was a child, she had adored Aerith's hair. She loved that braid-thingy at the back, and how she always pulled it and made bell sounds when Aerith said something stupid or naïve. But then she would usually get whacked with that humongous staff of hers because of it. 

 "Yuffie are you going to stand there all day?" Aerith asked calmly, looking up at her with startling green eyes. "Because I really would appreciate you help."

 "Oh….erm…ok," she agreed lamely. She collected each tower of garments and piled them into the luggage, and it took the combined weight of both Yuffie and Aerith to shut the lid. 

 Packing done, the two women sat comfortably on the ground, each holding a small can of juice. Yuffie slurped it up noisily, oblivious to Aerith's watchful eyes.

 "Nervous?"

 "What?" Yuffie asked, quite startled by her slight accusation. "No," she flustered, her fingers tightening on the drink. "Why would you think that?"

 "I was only guessing," Aerith said offhandedly. She was staring at the contents of her own refreshment, swirling it around. "Since you are always nervous around Squall."

 Yuffie didn't want to say anything. Her cheeks were burning a deep shade of garnet. Why was she so easy to read? If Aerith, who was practically oblivious to everything, noticed Yuffie's uneasiness, than Squall would be able to read her right off the bat. 

 "That obvious?" she said meekly. Aerith nodded vigorously, fiddling with her long strands of brown. Yuffie watched her enviously, fighting back the urge to fiddle with her own locks. "I used to have a crush on Cloud," Yuffie blurted before she could stop herself. Aerith just nodded again. Yuffie felt like some kind of forbidden door from her past had opened, and she had a sudden impulse to blab about it. "I hated Squall…he was always so mean and strict with me. That's why I liked Cloud. He was always nice…even though he was a bit dense…but I didn't mind." Yuffie stared at her hands, trying to remember more. The next thought came almost spontaneously. 

 "You liked Squall!" the ninja said louder than necessary, unable to keep the accusation out of her voice. Aerith looked up at her, obviously alarmed. "You told me you liked Squall…you said he was cute!" For some reason, Yuffie felt angry with Aerith. Yuffie remembered a lot of things about Aerith, and one of them was that every guy she knew liked her. They were all drawn to her kind, naïve, and fragile nature. That, as opposed to Yuffie's screaming, young, and uncontrollable presence, it was no wonder that they chose Aerith over her. 

 "Yes, I did like him…" Aerith trailed off. "But that was nine years ago Yuffie. I don't like him anymore. Besides, it was just a crush."

 "You said he was cute!" Yuffie repeated, now staring at her, her eyes dancing with provoked embers. Aerith shook her head, looking at the younger girl.

 "He _is_ cute." 

 Yuffie wanted to slap her. Just slap her enough that she would get that thought out of her head. But what would that do? It would probably get Cloud to cut her in half, and Squall angry and disappointed with her-neither she wanted. But she desperately wanted to do something, anything. What was it to Aerith that Squall was cute? Who is the right mind called Squall _cute_ anyways? 

 "Squall's not cute," Yuffie said derisively. A brief flashback of when she had told Sora that he _was_ cute after talking about the Dalmatians proved that she was a two-faced liar. But Aerith was bound to not remember that. Or at least she prayed at she wouldn't.

 "If Squall's not cute, why do you like him?"

 "Don't change the subject!" Yuffie snapped, feeling extremely flustered. Aerith was too much like Squall-she too kept her calm even though everyone else-or in this case, Yuffie-was spazing out. The prospect that both had much in common upset the ninja far beyond words.

"All I said was that I thought he is cute, Yuffie," Aerith said dismissively. "It doesn't mean anything." Yuffie's eyes narrowed considerably as Aerith faltered a bit at the end.

 "He's twenty five years old, Aerith. You don't call twenty five year olds 'cute'."

 "That is your opinion."

 Yuffie felt like she had been punched in the gut. Nothing could describe what she was feeling at the moment. What was Aerith getting at? Was she trying to say…that she still felt something for Squall?

 "You have Cloud." The words came out with such anger and force that Yuffie half expected her to cry. Unfortunately, she looked completely impervious to Yuffie's jealousy. 

 "I didn't say I liked Squall," she answered calmly, standing up and throwing her can of juice into the garbage bin. It made a loud clanging sound, but to Yuffie it sounded completely hollow. "Stop being so judgmental. Besides, Squall isn't yours; it isn't you place to be so huffy about his personal life." With that said, the emerald eyed girl walked out of the room, leaving the ninja in a stream of angry tears.

~*~*~*~*~

 The waterway seemed to have accumulated more dirt in a few days that it had ever had in years. The water was almost completely made of mud, and the rocks were caked with a greenish substance, god knows what. Save for two men, it was completely deserted. 

 "Squall," Cloud said, waving a hand in front of the man in question's face. Squall blinked and tiredly pushed the hand away from his face. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, using the other to support himself. Cloud watched him patiently, noting how exhausted the Gunblade wielder looked.

 "You look like you're about to faint, ya know," Cloud pointed out, stroking a hand through his blond spikes. His red cape flowed out behind him majestically, his metal claw tapping against the grimy stone. (A/N:@#$%&*!! I still think it's unjust to Vincent that they mixed his looks with Cloud. Not that Cloud is ugly or anything, but that just tells us that Vincent's probably not going to ever be in the Kingdom Hearts saga. Dammit!) 

 "I'm not going to faint," Squall said stubbornly. Cloud rolled his eyes on instinct. Squall was a major butt hole when it came to admitting his weaknesses. Being friends after all those years had still taught him nothing. 

 "Whatever floats your boat," Cloud said with a grin. Now it was Squall's turn to roll his eyes. 

 "Did you get that from Yuffie?" Squall asked tepidly.

 "Yeah. How did you know?"

 "She always uses that with me when I'm being asinine." Cloud let out a hearty laugh, much to the disdain of the brunette.

 "Well at least you acknowledge that you're an asshole," the former mercenary said consolingly. It did nothing to help Squall's morose mood. Both were silent for a while, sitting in what could be described as companionable. Finally, Cloud's low voice broke through the still air.

 "Why did you agree to go along with Yuffie?"

 "Because it's my fault she's dying," Squall answered automatically, having the reason practically ground into his mind. 

 "Not everything is your fault," Cloud said in a somewhat knowing voice. As if he'd gone through the same thing before.

 "How would you know?" 

 "Hello, I sold my soul to Hades. I spent half my life looking for all of you. I've killed more people than I would've liked. You think I haven't been there before?"

 Surprisingly, Squall didn't have an answer for this. Cloud sighed heavily, leaning back to lie on the ground. The smell of mold and mud assaulted his nostrils but he ignored it with controlled patience. His eyes traveled around the dingy waterway, resting on the huge glowing sun symbol that lay ahead of them. Cid told him it used to be a moon, but after Sora had taken out the gummi block hidden there, it had changed into the daytime light. 

 "Do you have any idea where it is?"

 "No," Squall said tersely, pulling his leg up towards him and leaning on it for support. Cloud did the same, pulling up both legs and resting on them, his head lolling in his hands.

 "So you're just going to travel around the universe, having no idea what you're looking for?"

 "Yes."

 "That…sucks," Cloud said, an absence for a better word. Squall nodded in silent agreement. He was staring at the waterways entrance, his eyes watching it keenly. Cloud turned his head too, as if expecting to see something pop up at any moment. But nothing came; the underground hideout was quiet, save for the dulcet whistling of the wind. 

 "What are you looking at?" the blonde asked, somewhat irritated. It bothered him that Squall always seemed to sense something minutes before Cloud caught on. It made him feel clumsy, which was really something, seeing as he was the mercenary, not Squall. 

 "Someone's coming." 

 Cloud opened his mouth to say that there was nobody there, when a loud splashing sound was heard. It was followed by loud mutterings.

 "….How dare she say that….I just got out of the friggin hospital and she has to……argh…..hate her…."

 Cloud and Squall exchanged furtive glances, watching as Yuffie came sloshing into view, covered from the waist down in brown muck. Squall noted that her eyes were red and puffy, as her face a tinted pink. Her clothes looked extremely disheveled, not to mention dirty. She threw herself down in between the two men, still fuming. 

 "Well aren't you going to ask me why I'm so angry?" she snarled. Then before they could answer, "Well you better not ask because I don't want to tell you!" Cloud and Squall stayed silent as shook with rage. "GAWD!" she yelled, following it with a myriad of obscene curses. Squall showed complete apathy, but Cloud stared at her with amazement, and slight amusement. 

 "What's going on?" Cloud asked to both of them. Squall ignored him and Yuffie's face turned from pink to red. 

 "I told you not to ask!" Yuffie quipped at him, her eyes burning. She wanted to cry again. She hadn't really expected them to be down here. She thought that she could just come to the waterway-alone- and cry her eyes out. And maybe break a few things. 

 Being there with them didn't help matters either. They were the source of her problems. They were always the source of her problems, one way or another.  

 "Aren't they always?" she muttered to herself.

 "What?" Cloud, obviously having heard.

 "Shut up," she snapped, digging the heel of her shoes into the rocks. She wished that they came with a mute button. Or a zipper that she could just zip up when they got too chatty. "Sorry," she said seconds later, startling Cloud. "I didn't expect either of you to be here."

 "And what were you planning to do if we weren't?" Squall was gazing at her intently. Yuffie turned a deeper shade of red, if that was even remotely possible. 

 "N-nothing…" she stuttered out, his eyes making her go weak in the knees, so to speak. She had to bite her tongue to hold back screaming, 'Stop looking at me!' "Owww…" her tongue gave off the metallic taste of blood; she let go of it instantly, the taste bringing a great dislike within her. 

 No one said anything after that, much to Yuffie's discomfort. She sat there in stony silence, which was killing her. The two men seemed perfectly content with the loss of words, something that rivaled Yuffie's undeniable urge to become an unstoppable chatterbox. She tried in vain to find something to do until they decided to talk-play with her hair, stare uninterestedly at the walls, and see how long she can go without blinking…

 The blinking tactic withstanding, she rode on the idea for a few minutes, but eventually gave up once her eyes stared to burn and water. She waited what had to be about fifteen minutes for them to say something until she couldn't take it anymore.

 "OK!" said Yuffie in a defeated voice, as if they had been pestering her for the last one-fourth of an hour, instead of ignoring her. "Since you guys have been so accommodating and worrisome about my current state," she said with as much sarcasm as possible, "I'll tell you what's wrong, since you have been so eager to insist." Cloud had the typical face on, his mouth conveniently blocked by the red cape. Yuffie got caught in the moment and stared at him, forgetting that she was supposed to be telling them her problems. After all these years, she still thought that he had this child cuteness about him, even though it was perfectly hidden by his stoic demeanor. Her eyes traveled along his blonde spikes, wondering if Squall's and his felt the same… 

 Someone cleared his throat; Yuffie jumped, obviously startled, and looked at Squall. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't identify, some flicker of emotion that he'd never shown before. Yuffie clicked her tongue nervously and turned to look straight ahead, concentrating on her words. 

 "I got into a…fight with Aerith," she started, wringing her hands in her lap. "A big one," she added, wondering if they even cared. "I kinda accused her of something that probably wasn't true and I was just jumping to conclusions. She got…umm…ill tempered…"

 "Ill-tempered?" Cloud interrupted. "She would n-" he quieted himself when Yuffie gave him a warning glare.

 "Ok, she got kinda angry and she and I said some things that we probably shouldn't have." She conveniently left out that she had ended up crying because of her atypical standoffish nature. No one said anything, which gave her time to think. Maybe they expected she had more to say. Even now, reviewing what she had said, she realized that she sounded like a total wimpy baby. The ninja sighed, her livid mood long gone. Maybe they weren't investing their sympathy in her, but in Aerith. She always got into fights; Aerith on the other hand, seemed too delicate and gentle to engage in any battle. 

 _'Ugh…I tried.'  _It was so typical of them that they both cared for Aerith. Everyone was so overprotective of her, as if she was incapable of protecting herself. Yuffie believed otherwise-why did she have that staff of hers if it was never even used? She had seen Aerith in battle before; she wasn't _that_ weak. But of course, manly instinct probably drove them to protect the fairer. 

 Without saying a word, she sprang to her feet, sloshing back into the water. Cloud's voice stopped her angered movements.

 "Where are you going?" he called at her. She just shook her head and violently said back.

 "To think." They both watched her go.

 "Wha?" Cloud asked, obviously annoyed. Squall had just gotten up, and was walking rather quickly up the stairs to Merlin's house. "Fine…everyone just leave me."

~*~*~*~*~

 The sky was beautiful; Yuffie briefly wondered if the natives to Traverse Town even knew what sunlight looked like. Traverse Town had that kind of overall effect on a person. Whenever she traveled to somewhere else, she was almost always blinded by the oncoming stream of sunlight that Traverse Town so direly needed. But it eventually paid off, being up on the roofs, so close to the sky, made her imagine what it was like to fly. Sora, of course had been bestowed with that abnormal gift, something that she would give anything to have. 

 She reached her arm up, her fingers closing around the moon. "So close…yet so f-"

 "Ever wonder what touching heaven is like?" 

 Yuffie screamed so loudly that she feared all the windows in the town would break. She clasped her hands over her mouth in obvious embarrassment, the people down below yelling at her for being so noisy. She spun around angrily, colliding right with Squall's firm chest. His wonderful scent assaulted her nostrils, and she stared at the ground, wishing anything that she could just melt into it. 

 "You're so loud," he murmured, gently pushing her away from him. He sat on the slightly slanted rooftop, waiting for her to do the same. Unfortunately, she was too overcome with shock that she just stood there dumbly, watching him.

 "You followed me?" Squall glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was standing there, her hands behind her back, doing god knows what. 

 "Obviously." Yuffie flushed, taking the time of his lack of words to compose herself and sit down next to him, keeping at least a foot between them. She would didn't need distractions at the moment-his body heat and scent both applied. That and yeah, she thought he was gorgeous. _'Gawd I am such an idiot…' _

 "Huh?" she said, feeling extremely small-brained. He had just asked her something and she hadn't even been paying attention! _'Oh Christ I probably sound like Goofy…he's probably laughing his mind off in….well his mind.'_

"Are you ready to leave?" he repeated, watching her stare at him, as if she hadn't quite registered it yet. 

 "Umm…yeah…" She wanted to die. Could she not have one conversation with him that she could look back on without wanting to shoot herself? "My clothes…" she trailed off, her garments forcefully reminding her of Aerith. 

 Yuffie stole a glance at Squall's stoic face, his bangs obscuring his brilliant eyes. He had a prominent frown fixed upon his features, making him look older than he really was. As if to add to the look, his black over shirt slipped down his shoulder, making him look somewhat enticing, and maybe suggestive. _'Naughty Yuffie!'_ she reprimanded herself, tearing her eyes away from the man next to her. 

 "So what did you mean, ever wonder what touching heaven is like?"

 "It's self explanatory." 

 Yuffie couldn't help it, she glared huffily at his side, which showed no acknowledgement of her annoyance. Why did he have to be so damn hard to talk to? He was a friggin clam from hell. Yuffie didn't find it hard to picture him dying a lonely, old man.

 "So…what do _you_ think it's like?" she said lightly, ignoring his last comment. That and she was trying to get that nasty thought of him dying alone out of her head. 

 "Cold and distant." _'Like you?!'_ How could he think of heaven like that? What was he, a hell spawn?

 "Well I think it would be warm and fluffy," she said, contradicting his statement. "The atmosphere around you would be cold but when you touched it…your body would become warm and ardent and music would play that only you could hear…." She gazed at the sky as she said this, not noticing the intent gaze that Squall was transfixing upon her. 

 "That's-Yuffie look out." He said it with such calm that Yuffie didn't know whether to slap him or laugh. Either way, she realized too late that he was telling the truth. An apple that might as well be a grapefruit from the size of it flew into her, hitting her smack-dab in the nose. Squall made no moment, figuring that something like this would've happened anyway.

 "Get off of the goddamn roof!" the thrower of the apple yelled from the balcony below them. The thrower was a man, with slicked back hair and arrogant coal black eyes. He had a whole basket of fruits in his arms, much to Yuffie's amusement, despite being hit by one. 

 "Nooooo," Yuffie spat at him in a singsong voice. Another fruit, a banana this time, came hurling at her, but this time she was ready. She grabbed it before it hit her, smacking the man between the eyes with it. And so it continued, the man and Yuffie throwing fruits back and forth to each other, with Squall watching impassively.

 "What are you idiots doin,?" Cid's voice deemed through the whole of Traverse Town. Squall looked down below. Sora was there with his two friends, and by the looks of it, their ship was ready. 

 "Yuffie come on," Squall gripped her shoulder, narrowly missing a vine of grapes. When Yuffie paid no heed, he tightened his grip, until she let out a whimper.

 "OK! Geez…oww stop that hurts…" with one last dirty look at the angry man, she followed Squall down the ladder, the man's peals of appreciation ringing behind them.

~*~*~*~

 "Shiva?" asked Squall skeptically. Cid nodded enthusiastically. 

 "Great name isn't it? I considered Ragnarok, but thought that was too pathetic," Squall looked like he was about to say something, but closed his mouth with a resigned look. "So I named her Shiva. She has two sleepin' quarters, since Yuffie likes her privacy and all. There's enough room in the cabin fer four, but since there's only two of you, you'll have enough room to keep comfortable. Oh, and there's only one bathroom, but I'm sure that you guys can work around that."

 Behind them, Yuffie was chasing around Riku, surprising enough. His comment on her lack of "cartons" as he so formally put it, got her into a waspish mood. Even more annoying, was that Riku was proving to be faster than he looked.

 "Little snotrag stay still will ya!" she grunted as she took a swipe at his chest and missed by almost a foot. He hadn't said anything since his rude comment, staying away from the girl as much as possible. Frankly, he believed that he had found someone more enjoyable to aggravate than Sora. 

 Sora and Kairi watched a little off, glancing back and forth between the running teens, and the two conversing men. 

 "It's hard to believe that Riku and Yuffie are only a year apart," Kairi said thoughtfully, Riku having been sixteen for some time now. 

 "Not really," Sora responded, staring at them. "I think he's enjoying it," he added.

 "How do you know?"

 "Because, normally when he gets tired of teasing me he just stops and walks away or starts complaining. He hasn't said one word to her, and he doesn't look like he's going to walk away any time soon."

 "Ugh…you're right."

 "What if the engines run out?" Squall asked, looking at them. Cid nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

 "Already thought of it. I packed 'bout two more sets of each gummi this thang is built of." He gave 'Shiva' a loving pat. Squall would've laughed, if he had any emotion to do so. "So are-YUFFIE!" he roared as she collided with the ships front, the tip jabbing her stomach roughly.

 "What? Sorry Cid I-OWW GODDAMMIT YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" she screamed as Riku hit her in the butt with the Dream Sword's hilt. "PERVERT! GET YOUR SORRY ASS OVER HERE SO I CAN SHOVE MY SHURIKEN INTO YOUR SPINE! RIKU!" 

(A/N: I'm too tired to write this, so just skip forward about ten minutes. Yuffie has managed to get revenge on Riku by kicking him in the groin and now she and Squall are inside the ship, ready to take off.)

 Yuffie watched apathetically out the window, her eyes focused on Aerith. _'I'm so horrible,'_ she thought. _'I probably won't see her for months…I might even die and I didn't even have the courtesy to say a nice goodbye to her.'  _ 

 "Yuffie stop leaning over the seat. You're going to fall out," Squall informed her, yanking her back. Dazed as she was, she numbly let him pull her, still staring at Aerith. How could she have let herself prevaricate so much? Was she just prevaricating for prevaricating sakes? 

 It really was her fault that the two of them were parting on such a bad note. She was just jealous of the paragon, the seraph that she could probably never be. She was a ninja for crying out loud, and Aerith held so much poise and composure over her, while she talked and ran around like a rummy. She hesitantly looked away from the window; Aerith's unremitting face was sending waves of remorse though her body. 

 Was she really telling the truth when she had said that Squall was cute? Or was she just jumping to conclusions too quickly? Maybe she _did_ like Squall and she was just using Cloud to slowly get to Squall…or maybe she didn't like him and she was in love with Cloud like she should be…or maybe she was Yuri and she liked Yuffie…

 "AGH!" Yuffie yelled, slapping and pinching her cheeks. The people outside the ship watched her masochist act, wondering if it was a side effect of her disease. 

 Squall was too pensive to notice Yuffie's attacks on her face. He really had no idea if he would be able to withstand her zealous nature without losing his sanity in the process. Albeit, Yuffie had always been quick to remind him that he probably was already psycho. He had always succeeded in evading her gung-ho, but now he couldn't hide. She didn't have any one else, and if she saw that he had disappeared while they were on one of the worlds, she'd no doubt alert everyone in the vicinity until she had the whole planet looking for him. Either that or she'd totally freak out and faint or do something else dangerous to speed up the disease. 

 It was odd thinking of Yuffie dying. It never really occurred to her that he might actually see her die. He had always expected it to be the other way around. It was obvious that this state she was in was maiming her life and almost all of her happiness. If they didn't find a cure for her disease, then it would be all over for her. If only Ansem still lived…

 "Squallie, can you please just take off already?" Yuffie said with slight trepidation. Squall gave her a questioning look, but she just shook her head, gripping the sides of the seat so hard he feared they would rip. She was slowly falling short of the façade that she had put up, making everyone believe that the disease didn't bother her in the least. But he could see it now, she was scared out of her wits. It was if she only realized just then that she might not live for very much longer. 

 "Stop shaking," he said as gently as his damn pride would allow him. 

 "I'm not s-shaking," she growled, but still grabbed her quivering shoulders in a vain effort to hide them. 

 Squall said no more; he already had Shiva hovering seven feet in the air. Realizing this too, Yuffie pressed her face as hard as she was able against the cool window, waving as enthusiastically as she could through the nebulous smoke the rockets emitted. She stopped once she realized it was no use trying to get them to see her, they were almost enshrouded in the gray cloud now. She turned her interests to the console, watching as the array of buttons and switches lit up. The ship thrummed softly beneath their feet, humming in an allegretto fashion. The ship gave a jolt, and Yuffie looked through the window once more, the figures of her friends shrinking to ants, the lit buildings looking like tiny Christmas lights from above. With one last glance at the World gate, she sank back into her velvety seat, a lone tear running down her cheek. Only this time, it was not followed by it's brethren-she would cry no more.

A/N: That was a corny ending. I want to shoot myself for taking so long to update this. Like I said, I believe I was born with a writer's block. That and I believe I am a shitty writer. Oh yeah…I'm bored so I'll leave you to figure this out. HOW OLD AM I? Just take a guess…I am so incredibly bored…  


	12. Deep Jungle Part One

Bring Me to Life

Chapter 12:Deep Jungle Part One

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Rubbing her arms in a feeble attempt to stay warm, Yuffie realized that she never knew how cold space could be until now. It felt as if she was drifting in an endless void, the silence mocking her inability to be impervious to the arctic chill. The biting winds and frosted winters of the planets didn't come close to comparing to the merciless sky. Here she was, floating in its huge abyss, only a minute matter in it's much bigger picture. If the planets conversed, they would probably be throwing out comments of their detesting feelings of the puny humans, thinking had conquered space just by reaching it. Staring out at the obsidian darkness, it dawned upon Yuffie that she would never be able to survive out there, regardless of how hellacious she was. Thus, she held much prestige for the stellar beings.

 She was alone, to put it mildly. Hadn't Squall even noticed that she hadn't come in for over an hour to henpeck him? She kept telling herself that any second he would put the ship on auto, open the door of her room, and wrap his arms around her, asking her what was wrong. But of course that was just a verisimilitude of her imagination, something that she had managed to conjure up over the many reminiscences of her unrequited love with the twenty-five year old. Besides, she doubted he would want to be branded a pedophile; her dreams were just too illicit to become real. 

 Letting out a sigh, she opened the bedroom door, staring into the small hallway leading to the cockpit. With slight anger she noticed that he indeed had Shiva on autopilot, albeit he hadn't bothered to check up on her, despite her near death state. She just couldn't condone him now! Maybe after she gave him a piece of her mind he would think twice before leaving her alone and unsettled for two hours!

 With great determination, she stomped up to him, rattling the chairs and windows as she passed. He made no movement, his masculine body looking staid and at complete calm. As the vociferous woman neared him, she noticed that his look changed from wearisome to an odd soothing look, as though she had laid upon him a song of dulcet notes. Opening her mouth, her eyebrows rose in shock as nothing came out of her mouth, the air moving freely through the open passage. Not wanting to look like a gaping fish, she quickly shut her mouth back up, wondering if she had turned mute in the last few hours. Testing her mouth several times, she finally managed to get a coherent statement from her lips. 

 "Are we there yet?" 

 Ah, the simple yet aggravating cliché. It had many times gotten Cid into a vociferous fit, and Squall wishing he could shish kebab himself. As for Cloud, he didn't exactly hate it, seeing as he usually joined in out of a bout of boredom. Albeit, surprisingly enough, this time it didn't bother Squall- he himself had been wondering this too for some time now.

 "We'll be there soon," he said, telling what he hoped was the truth. Putting the ships on autopilot always maimed his sense of direction, and it often put him in an uncomfortable state of unease. Not knowing when and where made him feel idiotic and useless. That and because not being able to answer Yuffie's infamous line irritated him. 

 "Ok," she chirped, more brightly than she should allow. For someone on her dying quest, she sure was a happy camper. Minutes of undeniable silence filled the pit, before Yuffie started singing the most abhorred song that ever graced the universe.

 "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, take one down, pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall…"

 Squall endured through her horrible songs for another hour, from 'The Song That Never Ends' to 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star the edited and agonizingly longer version'. She had finally finished through all of her songs when she decided to tell Squall some of her Nasty-And-Extremely-Inappropriate-Jokes-For-Her-Age when the autopilot turned off with a dim beep, Tarzan's world growing in size as they neared. Saved from Yuffie's persistent jokes, Squall thankfully took hold of the steering mechanism. (A/N: What do they pilot gummi ships with anyways? A steering wheel? Or maybe a little joystick…)

 "Wow look at the waterfall!" Yuffie awed, knowing that Squall wouldn't be able to. His concentration was fully on landing Shiva, which was proving difficult due to the endless clump of trees that all seemed to coagulate and cover the planet in a protective layer of green. "How does Tarzan do it?" She wondered aloud, getting no response. "I mean, I would die if I had to live in an ugly place like this…with all the snakes and smelly monkeys and stuff…" Yuffie was too busy squishing her nose against the glass that she didn't notice the faint click behind her as Squall got out of his seat, grabbing her and held her tightly against his chest. Yuffie let out a small squeak as he gently took her head in one of his hands, pushing it into his chest, and covering her neck. The alarm system turned on, and the cockpit was filled with the shrill screams of warning. 

 "What's going on!?" Yuffie asked, feeling her calm starting to slip. Squall buried his head in her hair, stroking her neck comfortingly. 

 "We're going to crash."

 "WHAT!? WHY?!?!" She was beyond reason. Why was he crashing the ship? Had he lost his mind? 

 "Don't worry," his dulcet voice making her oddly sleepy. "You won't be hurt."

 "Why-are-we-crashing-the-ship?" she asked slowly, as if speaking to someone very obtuse. Squall nuzzled her hair, much to her embarrassment.

 "It turned onto Auto and I can't get it to revert back." 

 "Aghh…" 

 _'Well this is nice…I'm going to die in a ship named Shiva. How great. At least Squall's holding me…' _

 Speaking of Squall…_'Does he have to DO that?' _His nuzzling of her head was causing great jumble to build up in her brain, making her feel like blowing chunks any moment. His sudden affection was making her nauseous, or was it just the now-spinning-out-of-control cockpit? Albeit, as much as it bother her, it was heavily outweighed by her ardent enjoyment of his fiery touch. _'And I'm going to die,'_ she couldn't help but adding. It was funny how accustomed she had become to using that word, especially at her carefree and childish age. 

 "I never said I was sorry to Aerith," she mumbled into his chest. It heaved against her with a godly calm, something she could never attain. "I should've apologized, but I kept expecting her to do it first 'cause I thought it was kinda her fault. And I never said sorry to Riku either for damaging his baggage…and I didn't say sorry to Cid for slamming into Shiva's nose-maybe it's my fault we're-"

 "Yuffie," Squall cut in roughly, staring at the woven designs of the seat's back, his chin resting on her hair. "Stop talking like we're going to die. We're not." 

 For something so brutally said, it was rather soothing to the quivering ninja. "I knew that," she said in a smart manner. "CHRIST!" she screamed as they came in contact with the tops of the trees, the branches screeching violently on the painted sides. Many noises were now obscuring her sense of hearing, and she was thankfully saved visually by Squall's broad chest. But for some reason one sound stood out from the rest, like a whisper among screams. It was cracking…the glass was cracking. 

 "Squall the glass is going to shatter!" Yuffie cried despairingly, looking up to see if he noticed the minute detail too. Squall gave her a benign smile, and she silenced herself that he was fruitless in his efforts to comfort her.

 "I'll protect you," he whispered, barely audible. Yuffie's eyes became frantic as she tugged at his shirt, realizing that he didn't even care that he was putting himself in dire danger. 

 "I know I'll be fine, it's you I'm worried about!" she hissed, her knuckles going pallid from gripping them together so tightly. Squall ignored her comment, his smile unremitting. Images of Squall, laying on the ground, dying, with thousands of shards of long, blood-covered glass piercing his skin invaded her trepid mind. 

 "Don't worry," was all he said as the glass gave way to the tenacious trees- it could not coerce them any longer. Yuffie watched, aghast, as Squall's pupils dilated; she could actually hear the shards bury themselves within his back. His façade that he had kept up for so long crumbled as he let out an audible gasp in pain-and it was no wonder-there were cuts along his neck and arms, and pieces of glass winked at her from various parts of his body. His breath had become ragged and heaving, his chest covered in a thin layer of sweat. Yuffie's attention on his agony was momentarily switched to the ship, which had just slammed onto the ground with alarming force. She waited impatiently for everything in the ship to stop shaking, before she dared look at the man in front of her.

 Squall had slid off of her body when they had made contact with the ground. All of the windows had shattered, leaving the remnants to litter the floor messily. Her eyes rested on Squall, and her anger instantly directed toward Cid. 

 _'DAMN YOU CID!'_ she thought with as much ire as she could muster. She was beside herself with annoyance. _'WHY DID YOU MAKE THE WINDOWS GLASS!? WHY COULDN'T YOU MAKE THEM PLASTIC GODDAMMIT! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!'  _Her rants were brutally interrupted as an apparent groan was emitted from Squall's bruised lips. 

 "SQUALL!" She screamed lividly, despite him being right at her feet. She stubbornly let her anger at Cid go-for now. 

 Crouching down, she picked up his head in her hands, laying it in her lap. He stared up at her with a slightly blank expression. 

 "Idiot," she whispered affectionately, surprising herself. He closed his eyes contentedly; she was his sweet analgesic. Moments later he reopened his eyes, staring, transfixed, at her.

 "You're hurt," he stated purposely. Yuffie's eyes widened and she examined herself, realizing that he was right. Her arms were bleeding, as were a few cuts on her face, but not as profusely as Squall's. The window next to her had shattered and she had been too absorbed in Squall's grief to notice her own damage. 

 "It's nothing," she muttered gloatingly, even though now that he mentioned it, they started to sting like hell. Squall reached up to touch her cuts, but she gently pushed his arm back down, covering her own hand in his crimson blood. Looking down at his sweating face, his eyes looking slightly maimed, Yuffie had an intense urge to lean over and kiss him. But then if she did it would probably send him running in the opposite direction. 

 "You're so pallid," she said sadly, her hand resting on his forehead. She reached an odd epiphany in her mind; she could _sense_ him bleeding. Not just on her, but in her mind she could feel it. As if they bonded somehow, and they shared the same emotions. But that was crazy-it was probably just her delusional mind conjuring up something through all of this havoc. "You need a doctor." Now that he was hurt, she needed to be the one to support both of them. If only she could find that stupid gorilla man…

 "AHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" (A/N: XD XD XD Oh gawd I will never forget that. If you haven't figured it out yet, that was that retarded ape cry that Tarzan does before swinging in on his vine like a total Neanderthal. T_T;; Oh great now I can't type seriously…)

 "That's nice," Yuffie muttered. "At least I don't have to go looking for him." Yuffie watched as Tarzan swung heroically to their crashing site, wondering if the whole jungle had heard the racket they made. 

 "Um…hi…" Yuffie said, waving her hands in a slow exaggerated manner. (A/N: Yeah I can't help just popping up again. Ok I'm making this Tarzan like the one from the movie because the one in the game was really stupid and slow.)

 "I speak 'human'," Tarzan informed her with an arched brow, watching her somewhat insulting sign language. 

 "Oh…um…yes, I guess I noticed that." 

 "He needs help." Tarzan gestured to the shallow breathing Squall; Yuffie nodded numbly in agreement. "I can carry him back to the camp."

 "No that's ok…never mind," the ninja murmured as he picked up Squall and flung him over his back like a rag doll before she could begin to explain to him. Watching him dumbly from the ground as Tarzan climbed into the nearest tree, Yuffie realized that she had no chance of keeping up with him. 

 "Excuse me!" she called out, just as he swung away. Irritation settled in when he failed to return to her after five minutes. "Ugh…how the hell am I supposed to know where he's going?" Silence. "OK FINE!" she screamed, scrambling as gracefully as she could into the same tree. "I'll go talk to the monkeys and see if they can help me!" Of course she was far past the limits of sarcasm, but who was there to hear her? 

 It took fifteen slips from the tree, several scratches on her body, and many erratic scares from the inhabitants of the planet to make Yuffie realize that it would've been better if she had just stayed put. Somebody was probably planning to come back and get her anyways, but she was just too damn impatient for that. And now she was stuck in the middle of a rainforest, completely lost, and had a snake crawling into her tighty whities. 

 "GAWD!" Seconds later the snake was flying into the air, landing at god knows where. "I officially hate jungles," Yuffie grumbled, plopping her exhausted body down on the slippery branch. Yuffie figured that animals and her just didn't mix, since they all seemed out to antagonize her. 

 _Poke. Poke._

"What!" Yuffie whirled around, almost falling from the tree for the sixteenth time. Angered that someone dared bother her in such a dangerous position, she readied herself to kick whomever her distracter was. Unfortunately, the creature that had poked her was not human, but a gorilla. A very smelly gorilla, she added shamelessly.

 "Ok what do you want," the shinobi asked, scrutinizing the animal as it proceeded to pick it's nose. "Are you a friend of Tarzan? Ya know…" she made waved her hands around and beat her chest. The gorilla, thinking she was playing around, did the same, shoving her in what would've been a playful manner if she had been an animal. But unfortunately, she was not a gorilla, and the primate's strength caused her to lose her balance, so that she fell and landed painfully on the branch below. Yuffie let out a low moan in agony as white-hot pain shot from her butt to the rest of her body. 

 "You stupid monkey!" she yelled, waving her middle fingers at it. The gorilla just smiled stupidly and returned the gesture. "I give up…" 

 "&**^@#$!!" The gorilla swung down, seating itself once again next to the disgruntled ninja. Yuffie moved a foot away from it in caution.

 "Come again?"

 "*&^@#%&@" 

 "Ok, that sounds different from what you said-er-grunted before," Yuffie said, clearly frustrated. 

 "***@@!!$%$!!" 

 "WILL YOU STOP MAKING DIFFERENT NOISES!! I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU, YOU KNOW!!!" she yelled, feeling extremely miserable. She was supposed to be at Squall's side right now, tending to his wounds, not talking to a psycho primate that smelled like butt. The gorilla, looking shocked from her outburst, started to howl and pound the tree with its fists, much to Yuffie's horror.

 "NO! Don't do that! Be quiet!" she pleaded desperately to it as animals from all around came into sight. If there were any predators that came, they would be as good as dead. "AH!" she yelled even louder than the gorilla, noticing that the branch was seconds away from breaking and dropping them ten feet to the ground. "WILL YOU STOP IT!!" she lunged at the gorilla, grabbing it's huge callused fists in her own smooth ones. Albeit, she had stopped the gorilla, but her own sudden movement had finally done the branch in, and both screaming and howling at the top of their lungs, primate and human fell to the ground with an earth shattering smash. 

 Yuffie gasped as the wind was knocked out of her lungs, her body shaking in pain. She had hit the ground _hard._ The gorilla was just as freaked out as she was, but less hurt. 

 "Shut up..this is all your fault," Yuffie groaned, trying to drown out the gorilla's howls. It was jumping up and down and pointing at something, but who cared what it was? If it was a jaguar, she could handle it. Of course she would probably end up paralyzed if she fought the jungle cat in this state, but it was better than dying. "I said shut-SHIT!" 

 There were Heartless everywhere. As always they were dancing in erratic patterns, the female monkeys running around in the back, the male monkeys glaring at her with yellow eyes. They were completely surrounded, and Yuffie was in no mood to defeat all of them. Heartless were on a completely different page than the jaguars were. 

 Scrambling up as fast as she could manage, she got into a fighting pose, her legs feeling extremely crippled and useless. The gorilla looked on the brink of fainting from hyperventilation, and its incessant screams weren't helping the ninja's concentration at all. Maybe if she could just get the gorilla to calm down and get it to fight…

 "HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING!" she screamed, watching helplessly as the gorilla plowed straight through the Heartless, running off into the rainforest. "GO GET TARZAN THEN! TARZAN!" Obviously the gorilla wasn't the one the Heartless were after. 

 Seeing as her only ally was gone, the Heartless reformed themselves, then dived at her in a coagulated mass. Several were slashed down brutally by her shuriken, but they were still far from defeat. It took only seconds for her to be surrounded in a sea of black, their spindly claws pulling her down into oblivion…

 And then she saw it. Among the black figures and glowing eyes a figure deftly moved into them, destroying dozens in one swipe. Yuffie didn't care who it was, she just wanted them to go away. Closing her eyes, she let her mysterious hero destroy the remaining Heartless, picturing all the while that it was Squall, here to save her. 

 "Yuffie."

 The ninja's eyes sprang open, the voice bringing back painful memories. But alas, the figure had retreated, and Yuffie caught only a glimpse of silver before her savior disappeared completely. 

 _'Oh gawd oh gawd,'_ she thought desperately, her heart palpitating loudly. _'I have to tell Squall…he's here…Oh gawd…Sephiroth is back.'_

~*~*~*~

 Yuffie paced around in the small tent, her jaunty movements making a grove in the ground. After she had seen Sephiroth leave, Tarzan had come back with the same gorilla, who's name was Turk, as Tarzan had informed her. Ready to spew out her story to Squall, she was put into great disappointment to find that he was sleeping by the time she got to him. Two hours she was left to ruminate over her sighting of the great general who had made her life a living hell. 

 Why was he back? And why did he save her? The last time she checked, he was pretty hell-bent on killing her. _'He knows the cure,'_ she thought bitterly. _'If I could just get my hands on him…' _

 "Squall?" she whispered tepidly, poking him once in the chest. He made no acknowledgement of her actions. _'Leave him alone,'_ a voice hissed in her head. _'He's trying to sleep you idiot.'_

"I know that," Yuffie said, feeling extremely stupid, having been degraded to talking to herself. She stopped assaulting him with her finger, staring at his bare chest, which was covered in white bandages. Tarzans wife-as she had figured it-had patched him up quite well. 

 The woman in question was sitting in the corner, drawing a sketch of a suspiciously quiet lorikeet. She had respectively left Yuffie alone to think, quietly working in her corner. She didn't spare the ninja a glance as Yuffie continued to talk to herself, oblivious to the other occupants of the room. 

 "When will he wake up?" Jane looked up from what she was doing; the lorikeet chose the time to make a loud harping sound, and Jane was forced to let it go fluttering out of the tent. 

 "Well," the scientist's daughter said thoughtfully, her attention fully focused on the shinobi, now that her last subject had just departed. "That depends. I..I'm not really sure when he's going to wake up…I suppose it's all up to him and his conscious will power."

 "But," she added, "I really think that we shouldn't push him. He hasn't slept in days, that much is obvious." 

 "Yeah, I know." Yuffie sat herself down beside him, staring at his sweat-covered body. "Hey Jane?"

 "Yes?"

 "Do you know of any plants here that can cure a venereal disease?"

 "Venereal?" Jane asked, eyes widening slightly. "Yes, I am quite sure there are some out they're…hidden." She nodded toward the billowing tent flap. "But not any that I have found recently. Although I wouldn't really know, since I have not had any reason to test it. Why?"

 Yuffie watched the tent flap blow in the wind for a moment, staring at the scenery of the disarranged campsite outside. "I have…a disease. Do you remember the Heartless?" Jane's fearful face and suddenly shaking body was enough answer for her. "I got some of the substances of them inputted in me through this medication I took." There was no reason to tell Jane the whole truth-she wouldn't understand even if she tried to explain. "And I got raped and the drug kinda…reacted funny to it, resulting in an unidentified venereal disease." She chose to keep Sephiroth's identity unanimous. If word got around about him, then they would have as much of a chance of finding him as a needle in a haystack. "So Squall," Yuffie gestured to the man lying next to her for Jane's reference, "And I are traveling around the universe to find a cure; if we don't, I'll die." She finished, hoping that her edited story didn't sound too pathetic and uninformative. Fortunately, Jane was too overcome with sympathy to notice any visible flaw in her tale.

 "Oh Yuffie! I am so sorry!" she stood up so quickly that she knocked over the rickety chair she was sitting on; the chair crashed into the nearby table, knocking off the lamp, and making a formidable racket. "Oh blimey," she muttered, bending down to pick up the old-fashioned lamp, which had cracks running along the glass. "I'm so clumsy when I get worried…Daddy says that I have really good reflexes, but when I'm in a fix I freeze up instantly…" her shoulders sagged as if being forced down by a leaden weight; Yuffie felt instant pity for the girl, whom was probably only about a year or two older than herself. 

 "I'm a constant nuisance to Tarzan-of course he never says that, but I know that he's probably thinking it…"

 "That's not true!" Yuffie said with determined persistence, realizing that Jane was feeling exactly the way she did most of the time around Squall-completely and utterly useless. "Tarzan cares about you a lot! And if he really loves you, and you love him, then it doesn't matter if you think of yourself as a handicap to the other, because in his eyes, you are perfect!" 

 Yuffie had no idea where she had gotten such in-depth words from. She was sure that she had just read it from a corny romance novel, and memorized it in a bout of boredom. But no…she could not remember reading such a thing. Ever. Maybe it was something that she had formed in her mind; she then realized that that was the answer. She had said it because it was exactly what she wished Squall to look at her as-his equal.

 "Have you ever considered writing?" Jane asked with gentle suddenness, overcome with vigilance from Yuffie's bold words. "You are very good at describing, and-not to mention-making people feel better."

 "Oh trust me, I suck at writing," Yuffie said, waving her hands in mock defense. Jane let out a hark of laughter; Yuffie listened contentedly, savoring the moment. She had actually done something right for once. She had made a person happy and gotten complimented for it. _'I could get used to that…' _

"I'll leave you two alone now," she said with an embarrassed smile. "You're probably uncomfortable with me here."

 "Not really…" Under Jane's bright blue eyes, Yuffie faltered. "Ok a little…no offense," she added, smiling apologetically.

 "No problem…I used to die of embarrassment when Tarzan became affectionate with me in front of my father."

 Yuffie had nothing to say for this. Jane, realizing that she'd struck a still healing wound, quickly gave her shares of apologies. 

 "I'm sorry," Jane said, waving her hands around frantically, looking like some kind of lost, psycho goose that didn't know how to fly. "I didn't know…I'm really sorry, it was a stupid thing to say..sorry…"

 "It's ok," Yuffie interrupted her beseeches, her eyes locked onto the hem of Jane's skirt. "It was nine years ago. It's not your fault that I haven't learned to deal with it yet."

 "Yuffie-"

 "I'd like to be alone now," she cut in yet again. Albeit, her voice was not rough, it rang a gentle, depressed tone. "I need to talk to him." 

 "Yes…sorry," she added one more apology before walking out of the tent, securing the flap down with a small nail on the outside. 

 Now alone, without any conscious being to converse with, Yuffie uncurled her legs and laid down next to Squall. She scootched her body up a few inches, disgruntled that she was still much shorter than him. She had expected to grow a few inches herself, but she seemed to stay the same, as he grew closer to becoming a cousin of the giraffe. Why did he have to be so damn tall? 

 "Why are you complaining?" Yuffie asked herself, laying on her side, her eyes feeling focused on not him, but something else, edging in the back of her cluttered mind. She had always found an attraction to tall men; guys shorter than her just didn't appeal. Of course she didn't just like him because of his height, but that was beside the point. 

 _'His hair,'_ she thought, her concentration on his height going as suddenly as it came. "I know what it feels like," she said, feeling like a total dolt. What if he was awake, and just listening to her ramble on to herself, wondering if she was insane? Yuffie shoved that out of her mind momentarily, gazing at his brown locks. 

 _'Yeah…when I was in Sephiroth's castle and he was carrying me back…I had grabbed his hair, and pretended he was a pony. I remember now; it had felt like silk…'     _

 Yuffie suddenly was impacted with an influx of memories; she felt as if her brain would burst from the painful overload. She hadn't been able to remember much until now…

 "Angry," she whispered, sitting up, staring astonished at Squall's face. "He was so angry…" 

 _'Wait…if Squall was so angry then, how would he be now, knowing that Sephiroth's the one that did this to me, that he's following me, and that he's here right now?' _Yuffie knew the answer. He would be raged beyond belief. If she told him that Sephiroth was stalking her-as it seemed- then he would become completely unreasonable. She definitely didn't want to deal with Squall when he was in a pissy mood-normal Squall was frustrating enough. Besides, once he got angry, there was a usual good chance that he _stayed_ angry. 

 "Yuffie?" 

 The ninja jumped a mile and a half. Squall's eyes were barely open and unreadable, but his smirk was self-explanatory for what he was feeling. 

 "That was a nice speech you made," he said, his smirk growing at her aghast expression.

 "You _heard_ that?" she asked, slightly appalled. She hadn't really been serious with herself when she thought that he was awake and listening to her. "Go to sleep," she snapped, glaring at him as if his comment had no effect on her. 

 "What if I don't want to?" he asked, his eyes closing completely once more. Yuffie wished he would open his eyes again so he could see the daggers she was glaring at him so vehemently. 

 "Sleep." She said, feeling odd giving him a command. "And if you don't, you will find some nasty stuff in very undesirable places."

 "My my, is our little Yuffie getting naughty? I'd hate to think that you would be planning something as dirty as you are so keenly implying," Squall said lazily, opening his right eye in time to see the ninja's face grow a fiery crimson.

 "SHUT UP!" she said, lacking any comeback. "I am not getting naughty," she added grumpily, not wanting Squall to get any ideas about her. "I just meant I would put some spiders or something in your pants."

 "You know spiders have no effect on me."  
 "I know that!" she snapped, frustrated. "It was just an example!" 

 "So you're like a dog. 'Lotta bark but no bite."

 Yuffie didn't care if he was injured, incapacitated, or dying-that didn't stop her from lunging at him, seating herself on his waist, her legs straddling him. Her eyes screamed murder.

 "Don't you ever compare me to a mangy dog!" she said angrily, her small hands squeezing his arms. Squall would've been completely taken back by this, if it wasn't for the huge blush line spreading across her vibrant face. 

 "All bark but no bite," he repeated, her threat sliding off of him like watered oil. He had to admit, she looked rather cute when she was angry…

 _Woah. _Where the hell did _that_ come from? Squall wouldn't given himself a fierce mental and physical beating for thinking such illicit thoughts; albeit, Yuffie had other plans. 

 "You butthole!" Her eyes were on fire with something that he wasn't familiar with. "You are in no position to-"

 "Speaking of position," Squall cut in, smirking lightly. "Check yours lately?" 

 Wondering what he meant, Yuffie looked down, completely shocked with herself. She had him completely forced down, her legs stopping any movement at his waist, her hands keeping his arms in place. To an unknowing passerby, it would look as if she was dominatrix, bent on raping a bruised and wounded man. 

 "You-you-I…" 

 "I've noticed you've developed a nasty habit for stuttering, ya know that?" 

 "You're sick," Yuffie said desperately, grabbing at the first explanation in her mind. "You're tired. You need to rest. You're…"

 "Being atypically playful?" Squall filled in for her, eying her with an odd expression. 

 "YES!" 

 "Are you bothered by it?"

 "YES!"

 "Good." 

 The ninja's nostrils flared, and Squall got the sudden image of a bull, ready to charge. 

 "Squall," she whispered, her voice low. "Are you on crack?" 

 "No," he said, feeling extremely amused by her far-fetched guessing. "You are worse at reading people than I thought."

 "Excuse me! Sorry if I suck at being totally telepathic, cause ya know…everyone knows that you are the King of Psychic!"

 "Sorry." 

 "I-I..how can you…" Yuffie spluttered, wanting to die. How could he change his mood so suddenly, without a hint of warning? "You can't just…" 

 Yuffie stopped talking, realizing that Squall was staring at her intensely. She felt small and venerable in an instant, a deer caught in headlights. The tent had become eerily quiet, as if sensing an invisible demon, fast approaching. But no-there was no danger. It was something else…something that made shivers run up and down Yuffie's spine, but for some reason, it felt good.

 He wasn't sure how it happened; he wasn't even sure it happened at all. All he knew was that in that moment, he couldn't control himself. He couldn't control his mind, his body, and his thoughts. He had become a slave to his own venal lust, and regrettably gave into it. 

 She was still straddling him, but her hands were now in her hair, seeming intent on ripping them from its owner's skull. She looked on the verge of going insane. Wanting to release some of his own onerous burden, he reached up-as much as it pained him to do so- and pried her clenched fists away from her head, wrapping them in his own. She let him, as if she was the puppet, and he, the creator. 

 "Squall…" she whispered, her voice a mixture of fear and confusion. "I-" she wasn't given a second to say any more as Squall pulled her down toward him, closing the distance between their bodies. His lips pressed against her quivering ones, his arms releasing her hands to wrap around her waist. She instantly found home in his hair, her fingers burying themselves in his beautiful strands of chocolate brown. She became accustomed to his scent as he let go of her mouth, nuzzling her neck. 

 Yuffie felt pressured to say something now that her mouth was free, but she felt as if she couldn't form words. Her throat felt constricted and she was sure that any moment, she would wake up, her dream soon fading and becoming another hopeful memory. But it wasn't a dream, she was sure of it. 

 "Squall?" she repeated, looking down at him. His breathing had slowed down, and she was surprised to find that he had fallen asleep in the crook of his neck. Yuffie smiled gently, holding onto the moment that she would probably never be given again. With one final glance at his peaceful face, she laid snuggled in with him, whispering nine final words before succumbing to the Sandman. 

 "I think I'm falling in love with you, Squall." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Meanwhile, a figure loomed ominously outside the tent, watching the silhouette of the two. The figure of Tarzan clomped past him; the figure silently thanked the gods for such a location-the bamboo hid him well. 

 Sephiroth pulled his hood farther over his head, his green eyes glowing in the dark. In his hand he held a small, blood covered shuriken-it was amazing that Yuffie never realized she had been missing one. 

 "They're asleep," he whispered, pulling himself further back into the tangled jungle trees. There was nothing he could do now. Yuffie hadn't told Squall that she had seen him; that was a definite plus sign. He could only hope that she would hold up the façade until he could get close enough to aid her without sustaining major damage from Squall's Gunblade in the process. 

 Giving one last glance at the entangled figures, he disappeared into the night, the darkness enshrouding him like a second skin. His voice echoed in the wind, saying words few could understand.

 "Let's just hope that you're love will sustain, young ninja."

A/N: ::Gasp:: Yuffie and Squall kissing already!? Yep…I was desperate to put romance in it, and besides, it's essential to the plot.

 Oh..about that little question I gave you guys…::throws a boulder at Kayako:: THANKS A LOT BUTT BRAIN! Yeah, for those of you who have read her review…as she said, I am thirteen years old. Yes. Thirteen. And how would she know this? Simple. Cause she goes to school with me. Anyways…thanks for all the people who did make a guess. Most of you said 15-16; I guess that's a lucky number or something.

 And for my slow updating streak, I'm really sorry. I've been working at a theme park for the last two weeks and it's been hellish. And to top it all off I'm going to school and starting volleyball on Wednesday, so I feel really pressured right now. I'll try to get the thirteenth chapter out as fast as I can. 


	13. DJ P2: Venus Human Trap

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter 13:DJ P.2: Venus Human Trap

 Yuffie trudged around the camp in a sulky manner, doing everything possible to avoid the Gunblade wielder. Not only had he shown complete apathy when she attempted to bring up the kiss, but Tarzan seemed to be showing an interest in their sudden involvement with each other, having walked in on them the night prior. Tarzan had told Jane, who, with her unbelievably loud voice, had voiced it out to practically the whole forest, until Yuffie was sure the only person who didn't care about what they had did the night before was Squall.

 _'Look at me,'_ she would plead him silently in her mind; it didn't matter, it was a feeble cry for attention. How could he just act like nothing had happened? It wasn't exactly something you would forget so easily. But Yuffie doubted that he just forgot-he just chose to ignore it. 

 _'He may be able to just brush off stuff like this, but I can't.'_ She felt completely miserable, and was pretty sure she had a gray thundercloud floating over her head to prove it. _'This is what I get for getting a crush on a twenty-five year old wall. Did he even put my feelings into consideration when he kissed me? Or was it just for his own enjoyment?'_

 _"He's just toying with you."_ Aerith's words from long past hit her more forcefully then they should have. A memory floated around dimly in her mind, and she quickly grabbed at it, not wanting to be left with words that had no meaning. 

 ~*~*~*~

 _Gawd she was tired. Where was that stupid flower girl already? It was hard enough running around in the blistering heat; finding one person out of thousands in a crowded street was damn near impossible. _

_ "AERITH!" Yuffie bellowed into the influx of people. She was roughly being pushed backward from the majority of the crowd, which made it more difficult to spot the fragile girl. Why was the street so crowded? Traverse Town was almost always deserted, except when they had those rare festivals or flea markets. But last she checked, nothing was going on. _

_ "Well something has to be going on," Yuffie reminded herself as a large, burly man jostled her. Either she was too tired or scared, because for once she let it slide, instead of kicking his ass to Hollow Bastion and back. "If I don't find that stupid w-AHHH!" _

_ The object of her persistent callings had just appeared next to her, clinging on to her right arm like a parasite. _

_"Geez Aerith, I can barely feel my arm," Yuffie muttered, flexing her fingers to check her circulation. _

_ "What were you calling me for?" Aerith asked, ignoring the ninja's last comment. _

_"Oh yeah, about that. Squall was acting weird again."_

_"Not again Yuffie."_

_"I'm serious! Why don't you ever believe me when I tell you? He really acts like he l-"_

_"Oh Yuffie, he's just toying with you."_

_"How would you know? You say it as if you've never seen him flirt-"_

_"That's because he doesn't flirt. He's not a flirty type. He's just out to hurt you." _

_ "Gosh Aerith, when did you start to hate him?"_

_"I don't hate him. I'm just worried about you."_

_~*~*~*~_

 "I'm just worried about you…"

 This phrase repeated over and over in Yuffie's mind, until she thought she would faint from guilt. 

 Of course Aerith had been worried about her. She's always worried about her. And what did she do in thanks? She accused Aerith of liking Squall, when it hadn't really mattered anyways. Then she had blown it way out of proportion, and not even apologized. _'Some friend I am.' _

 "I wish I could contact her." Yuffie looked around the site longingly-if only. She had to do something…say something to her. If she even wanted to talk to her, that is. 

 "What are you looking for?" 

 "AHHH!!" Yuffie yelled, watching Tarzan's face contort in pain. True, she had yelled a lot louder than necessary, but it was only for particular someone to finally look at her. "DON'T.DO.THAT." She hissed in a lower voice, noticing that she had indeed gotten Squall to look her way. He looked perfectly fine, despite the fact that he had been bandaged up and incapacitated only hours ago; albeit, his face became startled upon hearing Yuffie's shrill cry for attention. 

 "A phone," she said offhandedly, still busy with scanning the site like a hawk. Tarzan watched her with skeptical eyes.

"A phone won't reach your friend from here." Yuffie scrutinized him through her brown bangs.

"What?"

"I overheard you talking to yourself-"

"I wasn't talking to myself."

"And the only way to reach her is if you have a communication device on the gummi ship," he finished, unperturbed by Yuffie's input of a useless lie. Of course she had been talking to herself. Who else would she have been chatting with? 

"How do you know this," Yuffie asked, stealing another glance at Squall. _'Stupid ass,'_ she grated, feeling like grabbing every item within reach and hurling them into the space-time continuum. 

"I learn-I saw that."

"Saw what?" Yuffie asked, irritated. Frankly, she was dreading the answer, since she already knew it. Why did he always have to pay attention to the minute details? _'It must be the gorilla thing…' _

"You like him." Tarzan was smiling widely, his head tilted to the side, giving him a knowing look. Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest, protecting what pride she had left.

"Thank you Mister Blunt and Obvious." Tarzan gave her a confused look. 

"Yeah I know," Yuffie sighed, realizing that Tarzan probably didn't recognize sarcasm when he heard it.  

 Meanwhile, Squall had given up on waiting for Tarzan and made the trek back to the abandoned ship by himself. The jungle man seemed to have a short attention span in some areas, and Squall refused to wait around until Tarzan got into the right state of mind. 

 Looking around with tiger-like eyes, he scanned the dense area of the rain forest, the lush surroundings bring him into a state of serene calm. He never really had bothered much with nature-now he wished he had taken more time to notice. It soothed his conscience to know that this jungle was still untainted from the Heartless.

 "Or not," he murmured, stopping to bend down, staring at the ground. A black, gooey substance clung to the ground like contaminated blood-it was splattered everywhere. _'Heartless,'_ he thought with narrowed eyes. _'They've all been slaughtered, but…'_ He would have to come back to there and investigate. If there were any more signs of Sephiroth's minions, then he would be more than happy to dispose of them…

 Moving around the blotches of onyx, he made his way over to Shiva, grimacing at what lay before him. Their crash landing had done more damage than he had first guessed. It was completely windowless, shards of glass littering the ground. The external injuries were extreme-the paint was scratched, the metal was dented, and the engines were burnt. If that wasn't bad enough, the jungle's inhabitants seemed to have discovered the ship before he, and made their home in Shiva in less than a day. 

 "Damn," he murmured, climbing into the cockpit through the window, and instantly getting tangled in a throw of vines. "How can they grow so fast?" It made him wonder if he had been asleep for one decade, instead of one day. Ripping off the roping vines, he brought himself further into the gummi ship, his Gunblade hitched painfully over his shoulder. He had to put it on his left instead of right, because his right shoulder was bandaged up-and when he had last checked-still open and bleeding. 

 _'Impossible,'_ he thought, staring at the ferns, flowers, and vines decorating the inside of the cockpit. Coming to the end of the cockpit, he made to open the cabin rooms, but was stopped short by an overly large flower, smelling sweetly of incense. It blocked the whole walkway, and he wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. It was certainly hard not too, since the petals were bright black, red, and orange, and the leaves must've been the width of his shoulders. He followed the stem to the ground, surprised to see that there was no way for such a flower to bloom in the cramped environment. There was no sunlight, no water. 

 "So why're you so big?" he asked loudly, pulling the Gunblade off his shoulder and positioning it before him. There were no recorded Heartless plants, but with all the freaks today, who knew what they'd had managed to mutilate? 

 He raised his Gunblade up in an arc, swinging it down vertically, aiming for the stem. Unfortunately, his suspicions proved true, when the plant took on a life of it's own, grabbing the Gunblade before impact, and wrapping the weapon completely in thick, metal-like vines. The vines snaked up the Gunblade, squeezing Squall's arm, until it grew white, and he lost feeling in it. 

 Growling like an enraged lion, he lifted his right foot, attempting to kick its center. Again, he was stopped, his leg now encased in green organic snakes. The flower, now possessing two of his limbs, lifted him completely off of the floor, slamming him against the ceiling of the ship. He yelled in pain as his bruised shoulder came in contact with it; he was sure now that it was broken. 

 "Put-me-down," he gasped-the Heartless flower was constricting his neck. Dots exploded in his eyes as his vision started to blur. If he didn't do something NOW, he would choke to death, or worse. 

 Pride. The word flashed in his mind, and he thought of the roaring lion pendant on his chest, which was digging painfully into his chest. His father had always taught him that having pride was important; knowing when to put it aside was even more so. 

 _'Do it,'_ he screamed at himself. He couldn't let his stubbornness get in the way of his life. It was obvious he couldn't fight the plant at this point- it had vines of steel. Clenching his eyes shut in one more feeble attempt to stop the flashing dots, he yelled out into the brisk morning air.

 "HELLLPPP!!!" 

~*~*~*~

 Yuffie chest felt tight and constricted, her eyes watered, and her limbs ached, but she fought the pleading voices in her head. Braches grabbed at her skin and clothes, leaving runs and tears. Several times had she fallen on a wayward root raised obtrusively from the ground, but she ignored it for the most part. She could only see what lay ahead of her, as if in some kind of trance. 

 She desperately wished he would cry out again. Having a very embarrassing conversation with Tarzan, she had quickly reacted to the sound of his voice, her ears having since long trained themselves to listen for anything but Tarzan's voice. She had been tearing off through the forest almost instantly, her mind exploding with horrible scenarios. 

 Squall did scream. He never screamed. Which was why Yuffie was so panicked as she forced her legs to keep going; albeit, she felt like she was going to collapse any second. Either way, she figured that he must be fighting Satan in the dark recesses of hell, trying to stop an apocalypse from coming, or he was dying-to let out a cry like that was highly atypical of him. 

 "Oh gawd please be alright," she whispered, fighting back the pressure building up behind her eyes. Why did things like this always have to be happening to him? He had gotten hurt more in the few months spent with her than he probably had in his entire lifetime. 

 "Please don't let it be Sephiroth," she beseeched to anyone that would care to listen. But then of course, being in a state of horrified denial, the first thing she imagined was that it _was_ Sephiroth. That he was with Squall at this very moment, torturing him to death, until Squall cried out for the sweet release of it, but was refused just to pain him even more. _'Oh why didn't I tell him that I had seen Sephiroth? Why did I have to be such an ass in the first place? If I wasn't such a childish idiot, Luxina would still be alive, I would be un-diseased and friends with Aerith, and Squall wouldn't be dying. I'm such an annoying fool!'  _

 "Squall!" she screamed, half hysterical. "SQUALL!" Her eyes zoomed over the crash site, searching frantically for any signs of him. What if he wasn't here? What if she had run all the way out here, when he was on the other side of the planet? Why did she believe he was here, when there were obvious signs that he wasn't? 

 Feeling like a helpless kitten, she looked around some more, until an object caught her eye. She scrambled inside the ship, and her stomach flew up to her throat. A huge plant, the size of a small hotel room, was throttling the life out of Squall, who looked like a pallid, limp noodle. As Squall's color drained out of his body, the plant grew, until it's razor sharp petals sawed through the top of the ship, and the vines flowed out of the windowless panes. 

 Her fear had been left back at the camp, all she had was rage. "PUT HIM DOWN!" she screamed, her voice going two octaves above normal. Her eyes blurred with red, and she half-expected to be sprouting horns any moment. Pulling out her shuriken, five in each hand, she threw them like darts to a balloon, all aimed at the vines that constricted and threatened Squall's very life. The first six bounced off life rubber; the last four cut clear through and one vine fell to the floor, revealing a whitened space of his arm and torso. Yuffie threw more, faster than lightning, until the only vines left were around his stomach and ankles. 

 The plant, enraged that her victim had been given the right of oxygen once more, shot out its leafy tendrils at the ninja, who barely had time to dodge. It grazed her arm, drawing drops of blood. It stung like a million paper cuts. What was that flower made out of? Steel?

 Yuffie then noticed the Heartless emblem right below on of the razor sharp petals. _'Its one of Ansem's wicked creations…' _

 The shinobi glanced at her bleeding cut, dodging the vines once more. "My turn," she hissed, and raised her arms, summoning a glowing blue shuriken the size of her torso. Her pupils dilated as the magical shuriken started to spin, faster and faster. Watching it with expert eyes, she unleashed it with a cry of fury. It made a clean cut straight through the stem-the petals and vines instantly drooped, blackened, and burst into flame, where it withered into nothing. Squall slammed onto the crisp floor with a thud, making a groan. Yuffie quickly replaced her shuriken, running over to the gasping Squall. 

 "Are you ok?" she asked, her gloved hands flying over to touch the rope-like marks decorating his neck.

 "I'm fine," he growled, forcing himself up. Yuffie let him get up himself, giving him whatever integrity he had left from that cry. "Thanks," he added, his eyes softening slightly. Yuffie bit her lip, waving it off.

 "No prob," she said as casually as she could manage without screaming with glee. It wasn't everyday that Squall said thanks to anyone.

 "Well," Squall said after some time, interrupting the little party going on in her conscious mind. A small, surprising small threatened to take over his face. "Are you going to help me, or not?"

 "What?" Yuffie asked stupidly, eyes wide. "Are _you_ asking _me_ for _help?"_

 "Is there something wrong with that?" 

 "No!" Yuffie quickly bustled, bending down to pick up his Gunblade, dragging in along the floor, creating a grove. She handed it to him carefully, and tried not to squeak when he draped his arm over her shoulder. She prayed that he would believe her story that she had a fever, because her cheeks were burning like wildfire. 

 "Yuffie." 

 The ninja felt a lump in her throat, and she couldn't seem to force it down. She knew what that tone was. He was going to talk about the kiss. _'Well you knew he would some time or later,'_ her conscience reprimanded her. Yuffie ignored it with trained patience, trying to work up an answer.

 "Yes?" Yuffie wanted to kick herself. She had never heard her voice sound so high pitched in her entire life.

 "About last night…"

 _'Say it already,'_ Yuffie thought with slight impatience. If he didn't say it soon, she would lose her mind.

 "Yes?" she repeated, relieved to hear that her voice sounded normal once more. She stopped walking when she felt him refuse to move. "Are you ok? I can get Tarzan to carry you back if it hurts…"

 "No, I'm not hurt." He said, turning to look at her.'

 "You sure?" She eyed his weakened legs skeptically. "Whatever you choose. I can't make you." 

 Squall tilted his head to the side, so that it rested slightly on her shoulders. Her eyes widened when she felt his lips on her neck.

 "SQUALL!" she yelled, more out of shock than anger. He pulled back, staring at her. Yuffie felt like grabbing her shuriken and shoving it into his mouth, but resisted the urge. "Weren't you going to tell me something?" 

 "I just did."

 Yuffie blushed, scrunching up her nose. She hoped that that stupid monkey Turk wasn't near by, whilst she and Squall were having this 'intimate' conversation. The last thing she needed was that stupid suicidal gorilla to come and maim her. 

 "I know that you thought I was pretending to forget about what had happened," Squall continued, hefting the Gunblade's uncomfortable weight. "And you were right. I wanted to act like it didn't happen, and maybe it would eventually fade away."

 "You're worse than me," Yuffie grumbled. Something tickled her nose, and she looked up. Her scarf was hanging on a branch, a slight tear in the material. "I didn't even notice it was gone." She reached up and grabbed it, almost losing her hold on Squall. She noticed his face as she threw it around her neck.

 "What? Oh yeah, I forgot, you hate happy colors."

 "I don't hate them."

 "Then stop making that face." She contorted her own, trying to look like him, but failed miserably. Squall glared at her as if she'd done something horribly wrong. Yuffie stuck out her tongue. Why did he have to act like she was always trying to beleaguer him?

 "Squall…I want to go home." 

 The brunette closed his eyes, and Yuffie bent under his weight as he leaned fully on her. She didn't even bother to yell when he kissed her neck once more; albeit, she openly welcomed it, desperately needing his support.  

 "I know," he murmured into her neck, his lips smoothed over with her saltine sweat. She was visibly shaking, and he slightly smirked that his ministrations were causing her such instability. She dragged him back to the camp as silence reigned supreme, save for Yuffie's labored breaths. As the camp loomed closer, Squall stood up on his own, turning the ninja to face him.

 Yuffie's mind ran away as his lips descended on her own. She could taste her sweat on his lips, fused with his own flavor. She longed to melt into his arms, but the acknowledgement that he was hurt kept her from such pleasures. 

 "Yuffie," he said as she broke away for air. She looked up at him with round hazel eyes, staring into his orbs of azure. Having her attention wasn't his main intention; saying her name seemed to sate him enough. Besides, he couldn't find any words to speak what he was feeling. Fortunately, Yuffie saved him from such an embarrassing position. 

 "So does that mean you're my boyfriend now?" 

 Squall chuckled, not saying anything. He waited a good ten minutes before they got back into camp, clambered into the tent, packed up most of their belongings, then giving her the satisfaction of nodding his head. 

~*~*~*~

 The jungle's crisp morning air was broken as footsteps crunched along the ground, breaking up leaves and dirt clogs as it went. In front the person, a figure trampled through, leaving enough berth for the person to run along with ease. Birds cawed and flew as the two ran past, their presence being a paradox in itself.

 "Ha!" The person yelled, swiping at the thumping figure, which only sped up in answer, the swipe going by unnoticed. Yuffie growled as Turk evaded her yet again; the female gorilla was becoming a general nuisance to her. 

 "Turk!" she yelled, scaring a family of Capuchin monkeys out of their hiding in the process. Turk glanced back momentarily, the ninja's orange glove flashing briefly at her before being clamped back into the gorilla's mouth. Yuffie hissed like a soaked cat and sped up, only to have Turk climb deftly into the tree at last minute. Her latent anger was going to resurface if she didn't get her glove back soon. 

 "Yuffie, come on!" Squall's voice echoed through the rainforest. Yuffie growled low in her throat-she refused to leave with just one glove. 

 "HANG ON!" she bellowed, her nerves thinning as Turk climbed higher. She waved her arms around, stretching her fingers as far as she was able, as if able to reach up and grab her possession. "Turk, give it to me," she coaxed, looking around for anything to bribe her with. Her eyes rested on a termite mound, and the ninja grabbed the longest twig she could find, thrusting it into the infested mound. 

 "Come on Turk," she said loudly, waving around the twig, which was covered in termites. Yuffie grimaced as some crawled onto her hand and up her arm, but she ignored them with seventeen years control and patience. Turk slowly inched down the tree, the free food too good to pass up. "Come on," she repeated, whispering to herself. If she wasn't back at the gummi ship in five minutes, Squall threatened he would leave without her. And she didn't doubt he would do it either, which made her ten times more frantic to get her accessory back. 

 "Yes!" she hissed as Turk dropped her glove to the ground, replacing it with the twig in her mouth. Yuffie snatched the glove before Turk could think of taking it again, but almost chose to just leave it when she felt Turk's saliva coating it fully. 

 "Of course you're a happy camper," she snapped as Turk waved at her, extracting more termites out of the mound. "You got a good run and food. I just got a slobbery glove." 

 "YUFFIE!" 

 "OK! COOL YOU'RE JETS!" She quickly saluted to Turk, who waved again. She then took off like lightning, silently saying goodbye to her surroundings as she went. Squall and her had stayed there for only three days, but already had she adapted to the secluded and peaceful world. 

 Panting like dog as she reached Shiva, she rested against the newly replaced and polished gummi parts, thanking Cid for his prior precautions. If it weren't for him, then they would've been stranded for god knows how long. But then again, if he hadn't made the windows out of glass, then Squall wouldn't have gotten hurt…

 "So you decided to show," Squall smirked, walking out of the cockpit, looking-to her- absolutely gorgeous. 

 "With you screaming loud enough for the whole universe to hear, I really didn't have a choice," she came back smartly, proud of herself that she could once again argue with him without her ending in tears or extreme blushing. Yuffie let out a guffaw of laughter as Squall's eyes narrowed.

 "I.Was.Not.Screaming." 

 "Uh-huh." Yuffie made it a point to busy herself with saying goodbye to Tarzan and Jane, so as not to face Squall's face of rage. Of course she knew that he would just take her as being playful, so she knew that he really never could be that angry with her. 

 "I am sorry that we didn't have the cure," Jane said, trying her best to smile through the ninja's bleak predicament. Yuffie just nodded, managing a sincere 'It's ok.' 

 "Come and visit us again," Tarzan said, taking the shinobi into an ursine hug. Yuffie felt as if her eyes would pop out as he squeezed her; it wasn't until she started to squeak that he put her down. Yuffie waved awkwardly to Jane's father, who she hadn't gotten to know that well. He was always tinkering away at something, and frankly, he scared her. 

 She climbed into Shiva with a resigned look, wondering if they too, like all her other friends, would eventually fade and become a shadowing memory that would haunt her. She waited patiently as Squall bid his farewells, her eyes closed. She hated goodbyes. She remembered when she was younger that she had always hidden in her room when her parents had left on trips because she knew that she wouldn't have to miss them if she didn't have to say goodbye. In the end though, she still felt it. It seemed that no matter what she did, the pain would find her. 

 She used her ears to listen, not wanting to see them become smaller and smaller as they took off, until they disappeared from her vision. Squall's feet padded across the floor, which was completely refurnished and cleaned. Tarzan and Squall, along with the help of some of the animals, had managed to fix Shiva up in less than half a day, a miracle all in its own. 

 The ship was turned on, and the familiar humming assaulted her ears once more, bringing her back to the day that she first left Traverse Town. She had been able to watch them go then, why did it hurt so much now?

 "Are you ok?" Squall's benign voice came to her as they lifted off; she still refused to open her eyes.

 "Fine," she said, trying to feign sleepiness. Squall's mind told him to put the ship on autopilot and move to comfort her, but past mistakes kept him glued to his seat. 

 "We'll be going to Wonderland next," he said, knowing it was useless to help her as long as he was piloting. 

 "Why do they call it Wonderland?"

 "I have no idea."

A/N: Crappy chapter. Yes, I'm tired. I finally started school and sports, and I've gotten an overload of homework and just plain work as a result. I was thinking about making the chapters shorter so it's easier to update, but that's not really my style. So anyways, sorry for the wait. The shortness of my attention span is extreme, and it takes forever for me to post. But for all of you that are still reviewing, thanks for bearing with me. I seriously appreciate it.         


	14. Unseeing Eyes

Bring Me to Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, locations, etc.

Chapter Fourteen: Unseeing Eyes

 He hated Wonderland. It's unbearable colors were discouraging enough, and the idiotic cheeriness of it all made his insides churn. He watched the inhabitants run around all day with no real objective, and listened to the queen shout orders for no plausible reason. There was no excuse to have to be so frantic about everything; his mind couldn't process why anyone would want to live here in the first place. 

 Emerald eyes surveyed the landscape from his position atop an uncomfortably formed tree. There was nothing in site to be even remotely interesting. Of course, there was those talking flowers to consider, but they proved more a nuisance than entertainment. He even drugged one up with thirty potions, all thrown from his vantage point, to see if it would wilt-or even better-explode. His attempts were proved fruitless though; all it did was hack them all up, green liquid spewing everywhere. He never thought that he would dislike trying to kill an organism, but after watching an over-sized flower puke, he quickly changed his mind.

 "Go away," he hissed to the newcomer. The Cheshire Cat grinned, making its body disappear, so only that its eyes and mouth were still visible. 

 "Still waiting?"

 "Go away," he repeated, turning to glare at the half-invisible cat. This was the seventh time that that stupid cat had decided to pop up and annoy him with useless information.

 "They're coming, or they're not?"

 "Go away."

 "Will they come east, west, north, or south?"

 "Go away!" he roared, feeling frustrated by the cat's silly questions. The Cheshire's body appeared once more, and he stood on his front legs, balancing his head on his hind ones.

 "It's not here, they'll soon know. Who keeps the key? I do not know…" 

 "Anyone ever tell you how stupid you are?"

  The cat grinned from ear to ear, and disappeared completely, as the man took it as a sign that the creature was finally gone. 

 Once again beside himself with boredom, Sephiroth took it upon himself to 'negotiate' with the Queen of Hearts. Almost impossible, his other option was to just steal her heart and leave her for the Heartless to devour her. Sephiroth really didn't mind doing the latter, since that obese woman was getting on his nerves.

 Jumping down with practiced ease, he shook off the shock of the landing, its force passing by him almost unnoticed. His imperviousness to such things had made him somewhat of an anomaly, even in a place as odd as Wonderland. 

His trek through the Lotus forest was an uneventful one, save for when all the flowers decided to harass him and "shoot" him with their grape sized seeds, mainly because he had maimed their friend for life. Albeit, they instantly shut themselves up when Sephiroth went passed the boundaries of annoyance, and sent the Venus Traps to ensnare them. (A/N: The Venus Traps are those flower Heartless that tried to suffocate Squall. Yeah, you can tell that I worked really hard to come up with a name.)

 "Hello," he said as warmly as he could manage, ignoring the dirty look that the Queen gave him upon entering her court. It became obvious to him that she was not one to welcome guests, as she gestured toward the Card guards before he had a chance to say more.

 "What do you want," she snapped, swinging around her Heart tipped wand in agitation. Sephiroth's eyes trained on her, refusing to look at the advancing guards. The guards were a trifle distraction; he could slice them in half if worst came to worst. 

 "There is a couple of p-"

 "More tourists!" she screamed, pounding her stubby fists on the armrests of her throne. Some of the cards shook with nervousness, backing away with trepidation. 

 "I didn't say tourists," Sephiroth said patiently. The Queens face was turning as red as her dress, making her look-in his opinion- a lot less menacing than she was making herself out to be. "They're two people, male and female, who are looking for a cure for the f-"

 "I don't care," the Queen cut in brusquely, glaring at the silver-haired man. Sephiroth glared back with cool emerald eyes. It was taking every fiber in his body not to lash out at her with his Masamune, although he was keen not to let it show. 

 "I know that," he paced his words, careful not to say something insulting, lest it give her more reason to bitch him out once more. "But you will once they get here."

 "Well make them turn around!"

 "I can't _'make them turn around'._ They're already on their way here. That won't help," he added, as the guards took the initiative to pounce at him, their axes and spears brandished. It took two simple swipes for him to slice their weapons to rubble, and another two to bring all of them down. He re-sheathed the Masamune quickly, hating the way that the Queen stared greedily at the weapon, wanting it as much as a child for chocolate.

 "Fine!" she snapped, her ire back once more now that he had put his blade away. The cards were having a difficult time putting themselves back together in the background, just to add to her fuming personality. Sephiroth knew he had her cornered; she was completely defenseless without her guards. 

 Smirking, he turned around and walked back into the Lotus forest, throwing one last glance at the guards. He watched them twitch on the floor, realizing that he had just killed them.

~*~*~*~*~

 _"It's all your fault!" _

_ It was raining hard, the water feeling like unmerciful bullets from the heavens above, there to shower their punishment on anyone who got caught in the crossfire. The world was tainted gray, and her surroundings were blurry and amorous. There was pressure building up behind her eyes- but she didn't know why._

_ "It's all your fault!"_

_ There was that voice again. Where was it coming from? Yuffie shook her head, droplets of rain splattering everywhere. Her shoulders were starting to ache from the constant pound of the rain. _

_ "What's my fault?" she cried out desperately to her muddled surroundings, trying to make sense of it all. She could barely see now. Figures were starting to form, but she couldn't recognize them from such a distance. They all just looked like black blobs. _

_ Yuffie counted the blobs. There were nine of them. They were standing around…something. She moved closer, and realized that there was a person lying on the ground, with the others surrounding him or her. Yuffie squinted vainly; the rain was making her eyes burn now. _

_ "What's going on?" Why wouldn't they answer her? They didn't look at her; they didn't even acknowledge that she was there. _

_ "It's all your fault, Yuffie." Suddenly, one of the figures moved toward her; it was Aerith. She had blood covering her pink dress, and her hair had come out of her braid, leaving her hair soaked and clinging to her form. Her cheeks were pallid and her face shook-she was crying. _

_ "It's not my fault!" Yuffie cried, though she knew not what she was being accused of. _

_ "YES IT IS!" Aerith screamed with such force that Yuffie stepped back in shock. The other figures had come into view now. There was Cloud, Cid, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy. Panic rose within her once she realized that Squall wasn't there._

_ "Where's Squall?!"_

_ Aerith, still crying with angry eyes, pointed to the ground. Yuffie's face paled, feeling absolutely aghast. The figure on the ground was Squall, who looked as white and limp as a noodle. Blood pooled around him, staining his clothes and hair. _

_ "SQUALL!" the ninja screamed, attempting to move toward him. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?" What had happened? She had been on a trip with him, looking for a cure…and all of them had been back in Traverse Town…_

_ "He's dead!" Sora was speaking now. In front of her, blocking her way, was his Keyblade, looking dulled from the dreary weather. He looked angry, and he too, like Aerith, was crying. Darting her eyes around the group, she realized that they were all crying. But it wasn't sad crying. They were all angry- they were angry at her. _

_ "You killed him." Kairi slapped her across the face, causing Yuffie to yelp in pain. _

_ "I didn't kill him!" she said with a lot less conviction than she had expected. _

_ "Yes you did!"_

_ "It was you!"_

_ "It's all your fault!"_

_ She couldn't tell the voices apart anymore; they were all yelling at her at the same time. Their voices rose an octave higher, going louder and louder with accusations until she felt her eardrums shake with pressure._

_ "STOP IT!" she could barely hear her voice over the deafening roars of her friends. They were pushing her back, and she felt as if she was balancing on a cliff. Then, as if reading her mind, they all gave her a big shove, and she felt herself falling. Her stomach flew up to her throat, and the pressure that had been building up behind her eyes exploded and she felt tears streaming down her face. _

_ "HELP!" she screamed, but they all just watched her fall, their faces calm and stoic. They were no longer angry, no longer crying. They looked…satisfied? _

_ "HELP!" she screamed once more. Their faces had disappeared now, and Squall's face had appeared in front of her. Unlike the others, he was smiling warmly, and slowly he reached out his hand to catch her. _

_ "Come with me," he said gently, grabbing onto her wrist. His eyes were beckoning her to let him save her._

_ "But-but…you're dead!" Yuffie cried, anguish feeling her again. She wanted to die, just to end the horrible pain. _

_ "Who said I was Squall?"_

_ "What?"_

_ His hand, which she realized had been squeezing her wrist extremely hard, wasn't his anymore. It had grown long nails, and became bloodied and ripped. His whole body seemed to warp, until he looked like a clone of Satan, with horns and demonic wings. _

_ "You're dead."_

~*~*~*~*~

 "SQUALL!" 

 She bolted upright in her bed, beads of sweat careening off of her body. Her blankets lay tangled at her legs, making her temperature rise even more. It took her a moment to realize the scream she had just heard was her own. 

_ 'It was just a dream,'_ her mind tried to reassure her. Even so, when she reached up to wipe her face, she had tears running down them. She had seriously believed that the dream had been real. That she had really killed Squall, and that her friends would betray her like that.

 "Yuffie!" 

 Yuffie's eyes darted around; why was it so dark in her cabin?

 "Where are you?" 

 "Right here," she heard his voice, skeptical. Her bed groaned under his weight as he sat down right next to her. A horrible feeling of dread was forming in the pit of her stomach.

 "I can't see you!"

 "Yuffie I'm right here," he repeated, placing his hand on her forehead. She was burning up. _'But why can't she see me?' _He had turned on the lights upon entering the room, which was why he felt so disturbed. 

 "Where?" she demanded feeling utterly frustrated. It was so damn dark!

 "How many fingers am I holding up?"

 "You're holding up fingers?"

 "Dammit," he hissed, waving his hand in front of her face. She didn't respond. "Dammit." 

 "What's going on?" she asked, her voice sounding small and afraid. 

 "It must be a side effect of the disease," he whispered, pulling her toward his chest. She leaned into him gratefully. 

 "It's your disease. It must be affecting your eyesight."

 He knew this had happened, but he had still dreaded the day when it did. She had been fine for a while, not showing any signs that she was sick. But now that she was getting side effects, then they might not have much time…

 "We are now landing at destination-Wonderland." The automatic voice droned monotonously through the intercom in the top corner of the room. Squall nodded his head, not wanting to leave Yuffie in such an incapacitated state. 

 "I'm blind, I'm blind, I'm blind…" 

 The Gunblade wielder shook his head violently, trying to rid him of that thought. It had been the first night in almost a year that he hadn't heard her wake to cry, and now this? He didn't know what to think. 

 "You're not blind," he said lamely, failing miserably at trying to console her. 

 "Well what do you call it then?" she demanded, anguished and distressed. 

 "I have to land the ship," he said abruptly, a loss at words. He was never good at dealing with people's problems, and this was probably the worst he had come across.

 "Thanks for your help!" Yuffie snapped sarcastically. Squall climbed slipped out of the room quietly, and she was once again beside herself with loneliness. "Ass…leaving me like that…" 

 Ever since they had started to "date", he had started to act really out of it. Sometimes he would seem even more distanced than before they had ever shared anything. And to make things worse, the last time he had kissed her or shown anything close to affection was back in the Deep Jungle, after she had rescued him from the Heartless flower. It made her believe that he regretted his choice to begin a relationship with her, and was just waiting for her to get the point. 

 "Come back," she whined pitifully. Being blind was making her nervous. It made her acutely aware of the noises around her, like the low hum of the engines, the whistle of the windows, and the chattering of her own teeth. The volume of everything had been raised by two levels, making her ears ache. It sucked to be blind. 

 The ship landed gracefully on the ground; albeit, Yuffie could still clearly hear the thump it made as it hit surface. A frown marred her features. Usually, she would've rushed to the cockpit to get a bird's eye view of the planet before they landed, but now, that was wholly impossible, due to her disablement. Besides, she was too scared to even move, and her legs seemed glued to the bed, as her hands balled up, clutching her blankets until she was sure they would tear. 

 "Squall," she hissed like a cat, her own voice sounding booming to her ears. Her hands were running over her eyes, as if expecting to pull a veil from them any second. But there was no veil, no tricks. She really couldn't see anything. 

 Warm hands gripped her shoulders with gentleness; Squall was guiding her out of the bed. He maneuvered her to the middle of the room, stopping to grab her a sweater from her bureau, tying it securely around her waist. He then led her into the hallway, then the cockpit, which had a light breeze flowing through it from the open hatch. 

 "Wait," Yuffie said, trying to leave her anger behind her. "I need to go to the bathroom." 

 There was no argument from her guardian; he turned her around slowly, pushing her inside of the bathroom and locking the door, leaning against it. He trusted her to find the toilet by herself. The worst thing that could happen was that she put her fingers in the toilet water, which he would be alarmed by with her eminent screaming. 

 Yuffie shuffled around the bathroom, her hands running along the sink to touch the edge of the toilet. She could feel Squall's presence outside the door, and thanked the gods that he hadn't come in with her. _'At least he trusts me,'_ she conversed with herself comically. Her hand found the toilet seat, and she battled with her shorts button. 

 "Aww crap," she muttered, as she lost place of where the toilet seat was, due to her being preoccupied with her button and zipper. "Where are you…" she dipped her hand dangerously low, figuring if it was anywhere close, her fingers would smash into it. Instead, it missed by less than an inch, her fingers diving straight into the water.

 Squall smirked as she screamed loudly in the bathroom, spewing out a few colorful curses and making a great deal of stomping. 

 "DAMN TOILET!!" 

~*~*~*~*~

 Sora leaned low over the table, his forehead touching it glass cover. His breath fogged up the transparent substance in front of him, making his breath hot and labored him the lack of cool air. Cid watched the young teen from the counter, the unpolished Protega armlet lying forgotten on the counter top. 

 "Stop it," Cid said, exasperated, after watching him fog up almost the whole case for another five minutes. "You're messing up the glass."

 "Sorry," Sora apologized numbly, lifting his head up, his brown spikes bobbing spastically. Cid had to watch over the Accessories Shop for the day, since the other worker was out sick. Sora had keeping him company all morning (or night, since there really wasn't a morning in Traverse Town), because he couldn't sleep, due to the lack of correct rotation of the sun and moon. 

 "What's got you thinking so much that you haven't said a word in hours?" The gummi dealer asked, finally giving in and snatching up the Protega armlet, one of many that needed to be cleaned. 

 "Sephiroth," Sora said shortly, tugging uncomfortably at his gloves. The thought had been plaguing him all morning, and it felt right to just get it out in the open. 

 "What 'bout him?" 

 "He's still out there. We didn't get rid of him or anything. He kinda chased us away." Sora reminded the blonde, who only glared at him, one that clearly stated, "_I know that!"_

"And what if he wants revenge, so he goes after Yuffie and Squall?" Sora asked, feeling like he was worrying too much. Cid confirmed this when he shook his head. 

 "Squall can take care of Yuf if they do meet Sephiroth. If," he added, seeing Sora's implying gaze. "Stop worrying." 

 "I know but…I should've taken care of him when I had the chance."

 "Juss cause you're the Keyblade master, doesn't mean that everything is you're fault. You can't get rid of every evil in the world."

 "But it's my job," Sora pointed out dully, eyeing his nails, which he had neglected to cut for more than a month. They were low enough though, from the constant torture of gnawing that he put them through out of anxiousness.

 Cid had no answer for this, and Sora listened to the sounds of him placing down another half-heartened cleaned bracelet, picking up another filthy one seconds later. 

 "Hey!" Aerith greeted as she entered the shop, breaking the silence. Both men looked up, giving tired smiles. "Couldn't sleep?" she directed this question toward Sora. He nodded slowly in answer, not bothering to look at the flower girl. She walked over to the couch at the end of the Accessories Shop, plopping down on it. 

 "Heard anything from Yuffie and Squall yet?" she asked immediately, greetings now gone and past. Both shook their heads. "I hope they're alright…" 

 "Don't we all?" Sora groaned, rubbing his temples, a typical Squall movement. Aerith sighed, bracing herself for the moment when Sora got into a foul mood. He had been like that lately, particularly this early in the morning. 

 "Well, where is everyone else?" she asked, realizing that she was the only one inclined to talk. The other two seemed perfectly content with the silence as it was. 

 "Sleepin'," Cid grunted, dropping the ring onto the counter and stretching his arms lazily behind his head. Aerith stared at his orange waistband for a moment, thinking of some more general questions to ask. 

 "I think I'll go talk to Cloud," Aerith said abruptly, standing back up. She really wasn't getting anywhere trying to converse to the two of them. 

 "Men…" she muttered, stalking out of the door. 

~*~*~*~*~

 "Oww…" Yuffie muttered as she stubbed her foot on another chair, despite Squall's attempts to lead her out of the ship unharmed. "It's such a bitch being blind, isn't it?" 

 "I guess…" Squall trailed off, stopping to stare at the site in front of him. 

 "Why'd we stop?" Yuffie whined, confused. Squall frowned, squinting at the painful site. 

 "It's hideous." 

 "What's hideous?"

 "Wonderland." 

 "I want to see!" Yuffie gasped, throwing her head from side to side. Squall gripped her shoulders tightly, bending his head to nuzzle her neck. Yuffie squeaked in surprise and stopped moving. 

 "Trust me, you don't." 

 "How would you know?" she growled, moving forward and almost falling off of the ship, which was raised about two feet from the ground. Feeling no support under her foot, she quickly pulled it back, not wanting to fall flat on her face, with-most likely- Squall on top of her. 

 "Here," Squall said, bending down to pick up the blind ninja, holding her flush against his chest. She snuggled against him, his ardent skin making her sleepy once more. He jumped off of Shiva as lightly as possible; albeit, it still gave her a scare when he landed. 

 "Describe it," she somewhat commanded him. Squall resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he then realized it wouldn't matter, because she couldn't see anyways. 

 "It's pink, red, and b-"

 "All of it?" she asked incredulously. 

 "Yeah," Squall lied, not wanting to have to explain everything. "There's a lot of green too." 

 "Great sensory words," Yuffie grunted, rubbing her arms, even though it was about ninety degrees out. 

 Squall walked across the grass, coming to stop at a large tree with a hole at its bottom. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was more of a cut out door, although it was too dark to see where it led. Yuffie was squirming indefinitely in his arms, aggravated that she couldn't see why he had yet again stopped. 

 "There's a passageway in a large tree in front of us," he informed her, before she could even ask. He stepped closer, leaning over to attempt to gaze at what was inside. "But it's too dark to see anything." 

 "Well go inside," Yuffie said with a voice of obviousness. She couldn't seem to grasp why he was so cautious about a damn hole in the tree. 

 "I can't just go inside," he said, slightly exasperated at her lack of concern about the whole situation. The space in the tree looked less than welcoming, and he wasn't in the mood to get attacked by another Heartless, something that he had become wearisome of. 

 "Hey, you don't have your Gunblade." 

 "Obviously." 

 "Well sorry! I was just trying to tell you so you can go get it! I don't need to be carried all around Wonderland, ya know!" 

 Squall made a confused face; he then noticed that he indeed had refused to place her on the ground once he had gotten her off of Shiva. It seemed that he had become a tad bit over protective of her, due to her lack of eyesight. She had affected him a lot more than he ever would've believed anyone capable of doing. 

 "I'll get it," he murmured, placing her on the ground. She didn't move an inch as he walked toward the ship, searching inside for his weapon. Yuffie waited patiently near the tree, apparently at a loss of what to do. There were hardly any sounds that she could hear, but what happened she didn't hear, she sensed. 

 "Squall!" she yelled, hearing him slam violently into something inside the ship upon her hollering. Seconds later she felt him beside her, probably wondering why the hell she had yelled so suddenly. 

 "What?" he asked, glancing at his surroundings. There was nothing wrong that he could see; maybe Yuffie was in pain? 

 "We have to go down the tree _now_."

 "Why?" 

 "We just do!" Yuffie snapped stubbornly, somehow managing to grab onto his shirt, and dragging him along. 

 "Yuffie, you're going the wrong way." 

 Yuffie groaned, feeling extremely childish. She wanted to throw a fit, or scream. It was hard enough not being able to see a new world she's never been to, and Squall's vague attitude wasn't helping any. 

 Fortunately, before the ninja could blow a gasket, the brunette took her by the shoulders, leading her to the tree, until she was only inches away from it's gaping center. She reached her hand out, and it brushed thin, cold air. 

 "Ok, we jump." 

 "Jump?" Squall asked, staring at the black hole. "How do you know it drops?" 

 "I just do!" She didn't want to reveal why she knew; she couldn't even explain it herself. 

 She could feel Squall's hesitation behind her. She couldn't blame him for being uncertain-without a reason, she might as well being lying for all he knew. "Please, just trust me on this one," she pleaded him. A smile graced her lips when, instead on answering, he laced his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Positive that she had his support, she yanked both him and herself forward, instantly feeling a horrible dropping sensation in the pit of her stomach. 

 "HOLY SHIT!" she yelled, half out of fear, half out of excitement. Not being able to see anything made it fun, in a twisted sort of way. It was like riding on a ride with your eyes closed. She emitted guffaws of laughter, not able to contain herself. She could already see the look on his face. 

 "Why are you laughing?" he demanded. He, unlike her, did not find the drop at all amusing. Their descent slowed, until they were floating gently toward the earth. He observed the walls, seeing that it was a dark purple-ish color, with lopsided pictures of unidentifiable people on them hanging all over. All in all, Wonderland was a site for sore eyes. 

 "See anything?" she managed to gasp out between her peals of excitement. 

 "No. All black." He was developing a nasty habit for lying. 

 "Oh." She didn't sound put down at all; on the contrary, she sounded more excited that he too was experiencing the same effects that her eyes were. 

 More bright colors flashed in the line of his visage. A largely tiled floor came into view, the room circular in shape. He didn't bother alerting Yuffie that they were going to land soon. Besides, she was yelling so much that she probably wouldn't have heard him anyways. He landed gracefully on his feet, as Yuffie crashed unceremoniously onto the floor.

 "Oww…" she rubbed her nose, which felt twisted and broken. "Why didn't you tell me we were going to land?" 

 "Didn't want to mess up your fun." 

 "Thanks," Yuffie said awkwardly, not really sure if she should be saying thank you, or he apologizing. She stood up, flailing her arms around, searching for his body. He walked up behind her, dodging around her swinging arms, and once more took hold of her shoulders, leading her down the curvy hallway, and through a door, which he banged his head on the top of upon entering. 

 "You're too tall," she informed him as they came into the next room. This room seemed more confusing than most, since it was extremely small, with only a small bed, table, fireplace, and a miniature door in the middle. 

 "You're too short," he said, before he could stop himself. He then busied himself with finding a way out of the room, trying to ignore how hard Yuffie had just pinched him on the arm. 

 Meanwhile, Yuffie had wandered out of his arms. She couldn't seem to walk two steps in any direction without smashing into something. Then when she smashed into an object, it took her about three minutes to feel it up and down, and identify what it was. She had already figured out that there was a small chair in the corner with a book on it, a small coffee table in the middle of the room, and a bed on the same wall that the chair was pushed up against. She walked forward from the table, her foot promptly slamming into a hard wooden object. She bent down eagerly, curious to find out what it was. She felt around it, her hand resting on a brass doorknob. Feeling pleased with herself that she had found a way out, she yanked on the knob with all her might, only to get a shrilling yell in response. 

 "THAT HURTS!" 

 Yuffie screamed, kicking at the door once more, believing strongly that she must be hallucinating. But no. The door howled once more in anger, yelling random things at her. 

 "SQUALL!! THE DOOR IS SCREAMING AT ME!" 

 "Yuffie stop kicking it!" The door, Squall, and Yuffie were all yelling now. Squall, to Yuffie, telling her to calm down, Yuffie ranting on about how she was being yelled at by a door, and the door yelling for being treated so violently. 

 "You could've just asked," the door grumbled, several minutes later, once everyone had managed to calm down. Yuffie was pouting deeply, hiding behind Squall, who had developed a painful migraine from all the noise caused. 

 "I'm blind!" Yuffie snapped for what felt like the millionth time. The door huffed angrily, but Squall glared venomously at it before it could begin to argue again. 

 "Just let us through," the Gunblade wielder said tiredly, rubbing his temples. He needed an aspirin, and fast. 

 "Hello! You think you can fit inside of me?" 

 "I did not need to hear that…" Yuffie muttered before Squall could slice the door into nice firewood. 

 "Get your mind out of the gutter," Squall said offhandedly to Yuffie, who seemed to have gotten the wrong idea about the door's words. "So how do we become small enough to get through?" he asked, now directing himself toward the door. 

 "There are two bottles on the table. Drink the pink one," the door instructed, his eyelids subconsciously starting to slip shut. 

 "Ok- don't you dare go to sleep," he threatened. The door growled at his, shaking his metal nose in annoyance. 

 Squall picked up the pink bottle, taking a gulp of it before he could change his mind. His body instantly felt like it was being compressed, and the world grew large around him, in contrast to what he was normally used to. His eyes widened when he realized one flaw- Yuffie didn't know he had taken the potion. 

 "SQUALL!" he watched her smash around the room, almost knocking over the table in the process. His Gunblade slipped off of the table, clattering to the floor. 

 "Dammit," he muttered, leaning over the side of the table, which felt like a hundred feet off of the ground from his view. The Gunblade lay forgotten on the colorful floor, and easy target for Yuffie's now humongous feet. 

 He ran over to the other side of the table, waving his hands at the door. 

 "TELL HER I'M UP HERE!" 

 "Ok, Ok," he sighed, yawning. Yuffie's head snapped up and she advanced toward the doors voice. 

 "Where is he!" 

 "On the table," the door answered monotonously. "He took a shrinking potion. Be careful, you might squish him." That made Yuffie clam up considerable, and she placed her hand as gently and softly as she could, the thought of crushing him burning in her mind. 

 "Am I squishing him?" she asked in a somewhat panicked voice. 

 "He's not _that_ small," the door said in exasperation behind her. 

 "I'm right here." 

 Yuffie's heart swelled at his voice. She felt his small hand on her own, tugging at her skin. He led her hand to the bottle, where he told her to drink it. Seconds later she could feel herself shrinking too, but she was saved from the sight of everything growing around her. 

 Strong arms encircled her waist, and she gratefully accepted Squall's affection, happy that he was there once more. They climbed off of the table, walked toward the ill-tempered door, which let them through with a relieved look. 

 They entered the Queen's court, and the Queen glanced up at them, but said nothing. She had replaced her guards, burning the old ones. (A/N: I'm sorry, I really didn't know what to do with them.) Her prior talk with the silver haired man had scared her into silence, although she would never admit it. 

 Squall looked around, realizing that they had regained their normal size once more. He really didn't see the point in drinking the potion in the first place, if it was only useful for a few seconds. 

 "What's happening?" 

 "We've entered the Queen's court, but she doesn't seem to do saying anything. It's odd…because her reputation of being loud and morose has traveled all the way to Traverse Town. Her lack of speech shouldn't be caused by just us." 

 "We welcome you to Wonderland," the Queen of Hearts said as stiffly as possible. "Please look around anywhere you please." 

 "Thank you for your hospitality," Squall said politely, keeping his eye on the queen as he bowed. He dragged her along with him into the Lotus Forest, not wanting to stay around the Queen for too long. He didn't know when she could just snap, and he didn't want to be around to find out. 

 The Lotus Forest was somewhat beautiful in general, with large, oversized flowers and deep, billowing grass. Squall walked up to one of the orange flowers, reaching up to touch its petals. 

 "Give me a potion and I'll make you bigger." 

 It took a moment for Squall to grasp what it meant, even though, he couldn't help feel slightly violated. 

 "Excuse me?"  
 

 "Give me a potion and I'll make you bigger," the flower repeated, as if it could do it a million times. Behind him, Yuffie was giggling once more. Obvious she had pulled her mind "out of the gutter" quite yet. 

 "She means your _whole_ body," Yuffie supplied for him, a grin plastered to her face. 

 "I know that." 

 "Well…just checking. Wouldn't want you getting false hopes." 

 Squall glared at her as if intent on killing. Unfortunately, she couldn't see it, so she just kept on smiling idiotically, obviously having fun poking at his sexuality. 

 "You're u-" He was brusquely cut short as all of the creatures of the forest gave screams of fright, either dashing into hiding or curling up in the best way possible, as if trying to avoid being seen. Squall and Yuffie got into fighting stances on instinct, both sensing that something was coming. 

 "What's that?" Yuffie hissed, her eyes searching desperately for the creature that was causing tremors to rise up from the ground. 

 "I think it's a Heartless," Squall whispered back. Another tremor hit them, causing the ground to split and crack. "A big one." 

 "You might have to do most of the fighting then, because I can't see a goddamn thing." 

 "Don't worry. I'll protect you." He could hear her short. 

 "Who said I need protecting?" he could hear the indignant and proud note in her voice. She still had the heart of a ninja. 

 "Your choice." He pulled out the Gunblade, balancing it in front of him. The Heartless walked around the corner, making craters in the ground as it walked. Just as he was about to get a good look at what it was, a familiar voice distracted him. 

 "Need help?" 

 A/N: It's kinda obvious who the person is. Anyways, I'm so sorry for not updating for a while. I know, I'm a lazy bitch. If you're wondering, I got that flower and potion thing from this drawing that HorusGoddess did. You should check out her art. She made a whole comic sort of thing with Sora, Kairi, and Riku in goth forms. It is a RikuxSora, but I think the art is good enough to let that coupling pass. Besides, it's not that bad. ^_^;;      

 __


	15. Contemplations, Old Friends and New Alli...

Bring Me to Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its crap. 

Chapter Fifteen: Contemplations, old friends, and new allies

_I am            _

_A little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard_

_A handful of complaints_

_But I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars_

_I am_

_What I want you to want_

_What I want you to feel_

_But its like no matter what I do_

_I can't convince you to just believe this is real_

So I let go 

_Watching you_

_Turn your back like you always do_

_Face away and pretend that I'm not_

_But I'll be here_

_Cause you're all that I got_

_ -Faint by Linkin Park_

She felt it instantly. Squall's attention wasn't focused on their would be enemy; he was facing the new comer. Yuffie knew who it was, but she felt no fear. It never occurred to her that he was there to fight them. He said so himself-he was offering his help. Albeit, Yuffie perceived that Squall was not inclined to accept his outstretched hand of forgiveness. 

 What were they doing? No noise was heard, save for the unwieldy Heartless coming ever closer. Something was definitely wrong- she had fully expected Squall to be yelling by now and attacking Sephiroth. But neither said anything, and it bothered the ninja greatly. She could not just feign apathy and wait patiently for them to get over their petty aversion to each other; there was a Heartless coming, didn't they realize that? Or were they too absorbed in bringing the other down that they did not notice? 

 She desperately clawed at her hair. She needed something to do with her hands…anything. The Heartless let out an ear-piercing screech, and Yuffie knew that it was going to attack. She had no idea where it was, no idea what it looked like. 

 _'I'm pathetic. What kind of ninja doesn't know how to fight without their eyes? Ninja's are specializing in hiding in the shadows…I have a hard enough time seeing things in broad daylight. Maybe I was just fooling myself, calling myself a ninja. I'm no ninja.'_

 She didn't want to face her own conscience, but she knew it was true. If she were a real ninja, then she would have no problem with the loss of her eyes. Now she knew the truth, and it burned more than anything ever could. 

 Another shrill cry erupted, but there was no response from Squall and Sephiroth. Had they left her? Or had they figured out what she had too, and they were testing her skills? _'I don't have skills…' _

 Squall watched with anger, unable to do anything. The magic bindings on his mouth and body assured that. Yuffie probably thought that he had made up with Sephiroth, but he had been incapacitated by him. It seemed that the general had predicted that he would rush at him once he spoke, so he created a trap that he hid in a the palm of his hand. Squall had ignored it for the most part; it had looked like just a simple orb to him. But once Sephiroth had thrown it at him, he had been bound by it, unable to warn Yuffie of anything. But now that he was down…why wasn't Sephiroth attacking her? 

 "Concentrate." 

 Yuffie heard the voice loud and clear, but was too rigid with fear to turn away from the Heartless, which so could hear breathing above her now. She knew where it was now, in all obviousness, but she still had no idea what it looked like, or what kind of Heartless it was. 

 "I can't!" she cried in despair, wondering why Squall and Sephiroth were doing this to her. Why couldn't they just kill it now? And what kind of advice was "Concentrate"? How could she concentrate when she had a Heartless probably the size of a building practically breathing down her neck? 

 "Yes, you can." Sephiroth watched her from a few feet away. She looked absolutely frozen. 

 "No, I can't." 

 "Yuffie-" 

 "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!" she grabbed at her ears, wanting to tear them off. Even better, she wanted to tear off all of Sephiroth's limbs and feed it to the Heartless one by one. The blood of another had never stained her, but there was a first time for everything. 

 "I don't have to listen to you!" she clarified, her hand reaching down and encompassing her shuriken. It pricked her skin, but somehow it soothed her. The masochistic feeling of her own blood oozing across her hand made her insides stop churning, and her eyes stop burning with unseeing pain. 

 Sephiroth shook his head, his hair flying in every which way. He really was getting nowhere. She had no intention of listening to him, what little advice he had to offer. To her, the Heartless was _his_, and it didn't matter what he had to say, because it would all end up with her dead anyways. Ignoring the pun, he couldn't believe how _blind_ she could be. Well, there always was a way to get her to do what he wanted. 

 "If you don't concentrate now, I'll shatter the antidote." It considerably got Yuffie's attention. 

 "WHAT ANTIDOTE?" _'Bastard,'_ she thought venomously. He had an antidote? Why hadn't the idiot said anything? Was that why he had been following them around, just to savor the fact that he had the cure, and that they had no way of finding it?

 "For your eyes," he continued. "I don't have a cure for the disease."

 A boulder could've been attached to her heart, for all the depression she was feeling. Of course he didn't have a cure. If he did, they would have already beaten it out of him. 

 "Why do you want me to concentrate?" Apathy had settled in. Who cared if she was going to die by an ugly, truck-sized Heartless that she couldn't even see? She was blind, and she was probably going to just waste away in the end. It just didn't matter anymore. 

 "You've deemed yourself useless. This is an exercise to prove you wrong." 

 "Exercise? When've you become the bastard teacher?" 

 "Notice anything?" he cut in, changing the subject. Squall squirmed indefinitely beside him on the floor, fighting for his Gunblade, which was lying conveniently in Sephiroth's hands, far away from his reach. 

 "Yeah. Squall hasn't said anything. And the Heartless hasn't attacked." 

 "Anything else?" 

 "You're being nice, horror of all horrors," Yuffie snapped sarcastically, her grip slipping on her shuriken. Her hands were wet with sweat, and it was becoming increasingly hard to keep her calm. She still had no fly whiz of an idea of where Squall was, and she was too stubborn to ask at the moment. 

 "Concentrate," he repeated, flipping his irritating bangs out of his eyes. The Heartless would not move, he knew that as a fact. This Heartless was completely obedient, on some level. This one was very…unique…unlike the others. Yuffie would soon find out why.

 "He's quite beautiful," Sephiroth commented. Yuffie let out a snort, pawing the ground with her feet like a bull.

 "Who? Squall?"

 "The Heartless."

 "Well, unlike you, I do not find Heartless _beautiful, _so I'm disregarding your opinion on that." 

 She was through with words. If he wanted her to concentrate, than why not give it to him? She clenched her eyes shut, her hand tightening on the slick shuriken held in her small hands. The Heartless' large breaths blew her hair back and forth like a breeze, but that was the only moment it emitted. 

 _'Concentrate,' _She repeated to herself in her mind, running it over until it stuck like glue. Her efforts yielded nothing for the first few minutes, but she persisted anyways. She was on the brink of just giving up and killing the Heartless when she saw it. A greenish figure was forming in front of her eyes, battling off the darkness. At first the hope that she had regained her eyesight had returned, but the thought quickly fled once she realized that her surroundings were still black as midnight. The figure became clear, a large creature mirrored against the darkness. Yuffie knew instantly what it was. And she had to admit it was beautiful. 

 The Heartless was a preying mantis, with a glossy green surface and long, spiked wings. It stood up tall, as a human, but still hunched over enough so that it took on the appear of a carrier, as it meant for riding. It had razor sharp pinchers that protruded largely from its body, giving it an uncontrollable look. A tail wrapped around at it's clawed feet, things that were obviously added to the normal mantis appearance. Finally, a large, black and red Heartless emblem burned on its forehead, proving to the world what it really was. 

 It stared at her with long, narrowed, black eyes. Eyes that flickered with the impossible traces of emotion, of feeling. It looked as if…it actually had a heart. It was all too confusing. 

 It was beckoning to her. She could feel its calling. She felt inexplicably drawn toward it, and she didn't want to fight it. She didn't know if this was its power, to take her under its control. She didn't want to think, just touch. 

 She outstretched her hand, until she felt her muscles crap from strain. It moved its head forward, and her hand grazed across its hardened head, her fingers tracing the Heartless sign. 

 _'It's growing smaller'_ she thought with panic. Sure enough, it shrunk, bending lower and lower, until it had disappeared completely. A faint glow of emerald encased her shuriken, and a voice whispered in her head. 

 "Kamakari…"

~*~*~*~*~

 "Where's Squall?" Yuffie demanded, kicking Sephiroth in the shins. He grimaced with annoyance, moving away from her swinging legs. 

 "He's right here." 

 "Be quiet! Stupid head!" She wanted him to leave now. He was the last person on the face of the earth that she wanted to be near. 

 "You'll have a heart attack if you don't lower your anger level," he reprimanded her, reaching in his long black duster and revealing a small capsule, filled with a disgusting herb the color of puke green. 

 "Take his," the general commanded her, bonking her on the head with it. She growled like a lion, snatching it from his hands. She yanked the cork off, and almost fainted as the stench hit her. 

 "What is _this_?" It was the most horrible thing she had ever smelled. The poignancy of it finally forced her to cover it with her hand, keeping it as far away from her face as possible. 

 "It's the antidote." 

 "It smells like dung," she said stubbornly, taking another whiff at it. "And how do I know that it's not poisoned?" 

 "Poison is usually scentless," Sephiroth said with a shrug. Squall was still squirming on the ground, his face looking rather pale from the constriction he was receiving. Sephiroth had placed his Gunblade on the floor, either purposely or by distracted ignorance. It took him several minutes to get over to it, but he finally felt the cool handle of the weapon. Of course he couldn't lift it from his position on the floor, and his inconvenience of his limbs, but he wasn't going to try to wield it. Reaching farther up, he slipped his finger into the Gunblade's trigger, and pulled. 

 Yuffie let out a cry as pain exploded in her ears. The gunshot had hurt so badly, being so close. Besides that, the cry was half out of fear. Squall never used the gun unless they were in a dire situation. Sephiroth, in her opinion, probably deserved that title, but why hadn't he shot earlier? Another noise reached her ears, almost as loud as the gunshot. It sounded like a whip-no- a coil unraveling. 

 "Squall?" she demanded none too gently. A figure had gotten up from the floor; a figure she hadn't even known was there. She knew that something had happened to him, but that wasn't her main concern. If he had been incapacitated before, then that meant that he was going to throttle Sephiroth any moment. 

 _'I can't take this,_' she thought. She wanted it all to stop. She wanted the two of them to just leave each other alone. And most of all, she wanted to be back home, perfectly healthy, surrounded by her friends. 

 With renewed determination, she pinched her nose, bent her head back, and gulped down the antidote. It burned like fire down her throat, settling uncomfortably in her stomach like a volcano of ready-to-pour lava. 

 "Squall?" she repeated, moving forward cautiously. Her vision was slowly revealing shapes, blurred as they were. As she moved closer toward the figures, her eyes became clearer, the colors turning from gray and black to a wide array of the most horrific colors she had ever seen. She would've been completely euphoric for the fact that she could see again, if it wasn't for the reality that Squall and Sephiroth looked like they were ready to battle for the bowels of hell. 

 She cast them a baleful glance, her insides boiling with unsettled resentment for both of them. Why did they always have to be clawing at each other's necks? They were never like this before; before, they even seemed to have some kind of leveled respect for the other. Yuffie couldn't figure out who was at fault; Squall for being a hotheaded jackass, or Sephiroth for just plain being alive. 

 She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words. She felt like she was balancing on the edge of a cliff, her tongue deciding whether she lives or fall into the unknown. She personally preferred the latter, and then at least she could be rid of the two men in front of her. 

 Say something. Her mouth felt corked closed, and opening it would release a torrent of words that she knew would be retaliated at. She dimly heard them saying something to each other, but their words didn't matter to her. Words. Two people who she had known for more than half her life were about to kill each other, and she had nothing to say. Actions did speak louder than words, but at this point, she would've preferred _just_ words and _no_ action. 

 Squall, hotheaded? Her prior thoughts repeated in her mind. Squall wasn't hotheaded. Sometimes she wasn't even sure if he had a head, as much attention as he gave her. But no, he was far from being the explosive type, the type that was associated with the adjective 'hot-headed.' Most of the time, Squall just looked bored out of his mind, and if it wasn't that, then he just showed complete apathy. So what was up with him now? 

 "…Whatever." 

 Yuffie watched as Squall put his Gunblade away, watching the carved lion on the metal slide out of view. She moved her gaze in favor of his eyes, which looked exactly as she had been thinking him as seconds ago-bored. Sephiroth had done the same, flicking his bangs out of his eyes as if they had just finished discussing Traverse Town's tea prices. Yuffie wanted to demand what was going on, but then that would mean sacrificing more pride, and she refused to do so. 

 "I'll set the destination for Atlantica," Sephiroth threw over his broad shoulder, brushing past Yuffie and sitting down at the drivers seat. Yuffie watched him with a staggered expression, waiting for Squall to pounce him and ask the hell's he doing. But all she heard was another curt 'whatever' and then a door slam loudly, making her ears rattle. 

 _What's that sound? _

_ Oh nothing, just hell freezing over. _

The ninja couldn't believe it. Just couldn't. There was nothing that either of them could've said in that short five minutes of Yuffie's diverted attention that could've made them just call a truce, and no less agreeing to travel with each other. It made no damn sense at all. 

 With flames dancing in her eyes, she slammed into Squall's room, standing in front of the twenty five year old man. He was lying on his bed in a very rigid fashion, looking at if he had his spine curved around a boulder. His hands were covering his face, and he seemed in deep contemplation. Yuffie was in no mood to let him sit quietly though. Not that she ever was. 

 "What the frickin' hell?" she demanded, for lack of better words. Her throat felt so constrained, and all she felt like saying was plain old nasty, mean words anyways. 

 "You really need to refine your skills as a lady," Squall muttered. His hair splayed across the felt pillow behind him, making it harder for Yuffie to keep a firm grasp on her anger. She tried to picture him as ugly as possible, because she always found it easier to yell ugly words at someone just as equal as what she was screaming. 

 "You!" she couldn't think of any insult, mainly because she didn't have any. She didn't come in here to insult him; she came for answers. 

 "Why?" she asked in a strangled voice. He removed his hands from his eyes, and Yuffie stared into his heartless depths of blue. Those eyes that had tormented her for years, the ones that she had longed to look into every night, and the ones that stabbed her heart at the very moment. 

 _'You always hated Squall…'_

"That's what you wanted, wasn't it?" his voice sounded so devoid of emotion that Yuffie just wanted to leave right then and there. Listening to his voice in such a state was like listening to her own funeral music. 

 "Wanted what?" Yuffie didn't understand. Squall had the mood swings of a pregnant wyvern, with as much ferocity and distance as one too. She remembered barely less than half an hour ago that he had been gently guiding her along Wonderland, his assuring hands wrapped around her body as if he was her second skin. Now he sounded as if she poisoned his room every time she dared breathe. 

 "For us to get along." 

 "Yes…" 

 He was strangling her, and she felt herself falling, falling into God knows where. Her insides felt like they were ripping apart, as if being thrown through Time Compression with no way out. Her heart felt pulled this way and that, until she was unable to disconcert her thoughts and feelings. What was making her feel this way? She was being thrown into some kind of paranormal state of unpredictability, as if she could not control herself any longer. 

 "But how?" she managed to ask through her slowly closing windpipe. Or at least, it felt like it was sealing itself up. 

 "Negotiations." Squall said simply, standing up. He towered above her, her head barely reaching his shoulder. He suddenly didn't look right in the room. He was too big, too overpowering. And she was just a cowering ant in comparison. 

 "But-" 

 "You got what you wanted, so go away." 

 And there it was, as cold as the Arctic chill and as burning as the sun itself. All of the images and memories that they had shared fled from her mind, until she was faced with the solid cruelty of his words. Her mind was blank as an empty canvas, but her heart was exactly the opposite. It exploded with pain, the agony making her insides recoil and her heart wither into a dark, listless void. It hurt…so much…

 She grabbed at her heart as if being stabbed, her mouth forcing out an audible gasp. She was on the borderline or crying, of breaking down right in front of him, when a voice whispered in her mind, consoling her. 

 _Do not cry…my little child…._

Yuffie's anguish increased, until she felt as if she was containing a bomb, ready to detonate any second. 

 _Hush…calm my little child…do not cry…_

 "What's your problem?!" she screamed up at the man standing so close to her. "WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS PUSH ME AWAY! I LOVE YOU DAMMIT, AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO CARE! IF YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE, FINE! I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAMN LIFE!" 

 Yuffie didn't want to think about the tears that were making her vision blurry, and she didn't want to think about the man in front of her, who seemed completely unaffected by her outburst. How could she have thought that he would change? He was always the same Squall, completely bored with life. A man of ennui and apathy. It was a childish teenagers dream to think that he would change his whole personality just for her. She was never that important to anyone. 

 She glared up at him with stained eyes, but his gaze yielded nothing. No, her eyes weren't stained; his were. They would always be stained, with his past, his present, and his future. Shadows danced behind his indigo orbs, shadows that lived in the pit of his stomach and enwrapped his mind in its chilling claws. She couldn't think of a time when she had seen him otherwise. He was a man that was haunted with a past, and had seen things that scraggly, old men had ever hoped of seeing in their entire lives. Twenty-five? It was hard to believe that that was his true age. He acted like he was a hundred, with a stick wedged permanently up his ass.

 The ninja turned so sharply that she heard the air whistle past her ear. She felt old, like they had been married for years. But no, they had barely even started dating, and his personality seemed to tear everything apart. It was like he had a parasite that controlled him, and it pinched at his insides whenever he actually did something nice for a change. She had every intention of stomping out of the room, going into her own, and screaming until her vocal cords shattered when she felt a scorching heat behind her, and thick arms wrap gently around her waist. 

 "I love you too," Squall whispered into her hair, his voice strangled and broken. He sounded like he had run a mile, as if every word required five times more air than normal. Yuffie didn't say anything; her anger was still there, but it had softened considerably when he had said those words. How could she not? She had been waiting years to hear them. 

 "And I do care," he continued, his voice doing weird things to her stomach. It was funny how he still gave her the jitters. "I-" 

 "You cared enough to stop me from going out of that door, right?" Yuffie filled in for him, finally relaxing against his embrace. He nodded, and gently pulled her away from the door, thinking that if he hadn't stopped her, that door would probably be hanging on its hinges right now. 

 "You're such a butt," Yuffie sighed as he sat down on the bed, taking her on his lap with him. She shifted on his thighs, and he made an uncomfortable face. 

 "Stop moving," he groaned, feeling like he was being hit with two hammers.

 "Why?" 

 "I just want you to stop moving." He said. That, and she had a bony butt that was making his legs cramp up. 

 Yuffie rolled off of his lap completely, curling into a ball on his bed. He watched her with curiosity, not used to seeing such a sight. It wasn't everyday that he had a seventeen-year-old girl rolled up on his bed like a hedgehog. 

 "What are you doing?" he asked with awareness, staring at her form as it burrowed under the sheets, feeling the sole of her shoe brush against him from under the blankets. The image of Yuffie as a hedgehog became more pronounced.

 "I'm tired," he heard her muffled voice come out, the top of her head peeking from under the blankets. It looked like a brown mop. "And your bed is more comfy than mine." 

 "At least take off your shoes," he said, somewhat commanding. He had seen the things that her shoe accumulated everyday, and he preferred to have them not decorating his bed. 

 "Ok, hold yer horses," she muttered, her head popping back out like a jack-in-the-box, her eyes looking nothing short of perky. She shoved her shoes off and they tumbled to the floor, wrapped in blankets at the bottom of the bed. Squall stared at the small lump on the floor that contained her shoes, deciding that he would wash the sheets the next morning. 

 He got up without a word, only causing her lithe hand to dart out and grab the bottom of his shirt, tugging insistently. 

 "Where are you going?" Her voice sounded pleading. 

 "I need to talk to someone," he answered back. Yuffie frowned. He was acting as if he was dating Sephiroth, not her. 

 "Stay with me." She yanked harder, pulling him back. He sat back down lifelessly on the bed. "Sleep." She further ordered, smiling optimistically at him. He scowled back. 

 Not being one to argue with her, he slid under the covers, her scent already intoxicating him. It didn't seem right-like he was committing a crime. It was a nine-year age gap, and they were the only one that could see the bridge between them. Everyone else just chose to scorn them, and it pissed him off. 

 "What'za matter?" Yuffie was eyeing him prudently, her russet hair obscuring half of her vision. She looked about five years older, he noticed. The disease had caused bags to appear under her eyes, and she looked worn out, broken in. Like she was a pair of jeans that had been slept in and washed too many times-she was faded out. He never noticed such things when she kept up her gung ho attitude. It never occurred to him that someone as sprightly and vivacious as she could keep up a façade as well as he could. 

 "Nothing," he murmured back. He lay on his back, watching her out of the corner of his eye. _'She lost weight,'_ he found his self idly thinking. It was weird that he noticed all of this just now. It made him feel negligent. 

 "Mm'k. I just thought something was wrong 'cause you had that contemplative look on your face." 

 She shifted beside him, crawling on his chest and clamping on like a parasite. She didn't care that her clothes were going to be wrinkled in the morning, or that there was an ex-murderer piloting the ship. All she cared about was this room, lying with him. 

 "I'm happy," she said, burying into his smooth chest. Squall stared at the ceiling, his arms wrapping unconsciously around her. 

 "Me too." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Cid rested his forehead against the bar's wooden counter, his drink rising in his throat. He couldn't keep anything down, and he didn't know why. His body was repelling everything that he had attempted to down. He could already feel his stomach arching in. It was driving him nuts. 

 He lifted his head, the wood too rough for his liking. Really, it wasn't a bar. He doubted that they would place a bar outside where it was accessible to youth. No, it was more like a diner. A crappy diner, he added silently, noting that they had failed to bring him his food for the last thirty minutes. Not that the food would have mattered anyway. 

 Sora and his puny girlfriend (really, she was so friggin' tiny) had attempted to figure out what was wrong with them, but he had just warded them off with fatherly hands, assuring them that nothing was wrong and that it was some kind of virus he had caught. Of course they came back for questioning at his pathetic excuse, but he had managed to scare them away after a few choice words. 

 He wasn't sick. He was almost never sick. He had too many important things to do to be wasting away in some bed because of a damn cold. No, it wasn't that. 

 _'Maybe I do have a virus,'_ he thought sullenly. But it wasn't an immune system virus. It went much deeper than that, until it ate at his insides and threatened to tear him apart. 

 "You need a girl," Yuffie would persist to him every chance she got, her grin like a maniac's. He would just flip her off and steadily deny it. He didn't want a girl. The last thing he needed was another female in his life, pestering and useless questions and hanging around his like a disease. He could barely concentrate as it was. Besides, it had been so long…

 "Agh," he groaned, sitting up and leaving, not even bothering to wait for his food. Who cared if they still had him damned money? He didn't need it anyways. 

 "There you are!" Aerith practically skipped toward him, making his insides churn worse. She looked as excited as hell. 

 "What?" He felt so dead-beat. 

 "You gotta come see this! You won't believe it!" she was smiling gleefully as always, her emerald eyes full with happiness.

 "Try me," he grunted, following after her. She half-ran, forcing Cid into an easy jog to keep up with her. What had he done to make the gods put him with a bunch of energetic teens? Being with them just made him feel older. 

 Aerith brought him from the Second District into the First, weaving him expertly thought the streets of Traverse Town. He was in no mood to talk, so said nothing the whole way there. He didn't know what she found so damn fascinating. He indistinctly remembered the last time she and Yuffie had dragged him out here, saying it was the most amazing thing in the world. It had been a snail as big as his hand, something that more or less amused him. He really wasn't expecting anything big when she brought him to Traverse Town's huge gate.

 "Hello." The form in front of the gate said, her smile benign and bright. Aerith smiled back; Cid couldn't breathe. 

 "Told ya he'd be shocked," Aerith said with a smirk, something that looked wrong on her face. The figure nodded, as if they shared some inside joke. 

 "Hello Cid," she said again this time, specifically toward him. Knowing him, he probably thought he was dreaming. 

 "Shera," he managed to gasp. 

 "It's been awhile," Shera sighed, keeping it light. She knew Cid-telling him everything now would probably give him a heart attack. 

 Cid stared at her long and hard, as if she would disappear. But she didn't. She was there, real, tangible. If it didn't feel so wonderful, he would've doubted it to be true. 

 "The hell you doing here?" Cid asked, managing to compose himself. Not the most formal of questions, but that was how he had always talked to her. 

 "Excuse me," Shera said curtly, eyes closing behind her glasses. "I came here for you. It took years to find you," she added in, wondering if it would make him feel guilty. 

 "Umm…I'll just leave you two alone. I got a date with Cloud." Aerith murmured in the least noticeable way, smiling politely at Shera. 

 "Oh, Cloud's here? Send him my greetings then." 

 "Ok." 

 They both watched the girl bound off, braid bouncing energetically on her back. 

 "I missed you," Shera said, not looking at Cid, but staring past him. He wouldn't answer right away-he was stubborn like that. "After that incident…I thought all of you were dead. I gave up hope." 

 "Since when did you start to give up hope?" Cid asked, remembering all the times she had pestered him, all the times that she had insisted that something was wrong, and always being right. 

 "I did, a long time ago. For a while, actually. Then I heard about the fight at the Coliseum with Yuffie." 

 "You were there?" Cid cut in, silently berating himself for interrupting her. 

 "No. But I heard many rumors about it. I picked up info from various sources, and they led me here. I would've left if I hadn't bumped into Aerith at the market place."

 "How'd you get here?" Cid had to stop interrupting her-he knew he would get punished somehow for it later. Or maybe he kept interrupting her because he was nervous, and needed to talk to get it out of his system. 

 "I'm your mechanic," Shera reminded him, her head tilted to the side. "Its my job to create transportation, even if it is in your inaccurate vision." 

 "My dreams were never inaccurate!" Cid spluttered. A tiny light bulb was clicking in the back of his mind. He had to admit, she always managed to find a glitch in the gummis he built, whether it be an unstable wing or burnt out engine. 

 "Your dreams, no. I can't say the same about the contraptions you made, though." She started to walk, leaving him gaping at her. He caught up with her with thin bravado. 

 "There was nothing wrong with my damn creations. You had to be so damn persistent about everything!" 

 "Yes captain," Shera grinned. He had thrown a fit when she forgot to call him that, or she decided that she didn't want to do what he ordered. Most of the time she was completely obedient; him, the loud-mouthed pilot, and her, his quiet mechanic. It was a working partnership, she supposed. Of course, it was always fun to drive him to the point of unbelievable crankiness at the time. It surprised even her to think that they had fallen in love. 

 "We need to catch up," she said softly, glancing at Cid, who looked like he was trudging along with weights tied to his ankles. 

 "You have no idea." 

~*~*~*~*~

_ "Stop it," Squall reprimanded Yuffie, trying to ignore her as best he could. The summer heat was getting to him, and he felt dehydrated. _

_ "You're always telling me to stop!" Yuffie yelled at him, her voice small and squeaky. Squall glared down at the young girl. For once he wished that she wasn't there. But then, didn't he always wish that? _

_ "Don't you have any friends to play with?" Squall asked harshly, his eyes boring into her own. Her gaze dropped, and she stared at the ground impassively. Naturally, she considered Aerith, him, and Cloud her friends, so she really didn't have anyone else. There was Luxina, but she never really liked her. Aerith and Cloud were doing a project together, so she was left with Squall, who was being a total party pooper. Within a few minutes he had gotten angry with her, and all she had been doing was singing. _

_ Yuffie looked past him, not wanting to answer. He didn't deserve an answer, the big meanie! Besides, she didn't want to admit that she had no other friends besides them. She wasn't going to hand such satisfaction over to him. _

_ "Who's that?" she asked suddenly, bristling instinctively. Her seven-year-old brain was telling her to keep quiet and maybe run, but her body was up to a challenge. She had seen this man around Squall a few times, and from what she had observed, he was quite the antagonist. Thinking back on it, he was a lot like Sephiroth-scary, mysterious, and dark. _

_ "You should leave," Squall said, without a hint of malice. He sounded like it really wasn't safe for her to be around when the other boy decided to make an appearance. _

_ "Why? Who is he?" Yuffie would throw a temper tantrum if she had to. _

_ "Someone bad," Squall said. Not the most truthful answer, but he didn't want to give her a lengthy explanation. Short, sweet sentences always worked with her. _

_ "I'll fight him then!" Yuffie swiped at the air, her brown hair bobbing. Squall put his hand on her head, making her halt all movements. He sighed with exasperation. _

_ "Just keep quiet and don't do anything stupid alright?" _

_ "Don't call me stupid!" _

_ Squall gave up on trying with the ninja, and just faced the newcomer. The figure was about three inches taller than him. He didn't even want to think about how Yuffie felt at the moment. _

_ "Babysitting? I knew you were low, but I didn't think every store would deny you a job." _

_ Yuffie fumed. She didn't need a babysitter! Aside from that, she was also irate that this man had the audacity to insult Squall, who could've gotten a job at any time if he actually needed one. _

_ "He's not-" _

_ She felt Squall's brush over her mouth, holding it shut. It only incensed Yuffie more. With a forceful yank, she took away his hand, ready to yell up a storm. _

_ "Want me to tell you a story?" the boy asked before Yuffie could start raging. The young girl eyed him suspiciously. Deep down, she was curious, but she knew better than to accept. _

_ "No," Yuffie snapped bravely, taking refuge behind Squall, gripping at his pant leg. This man scared her. She glared up at him, into his emerald eyes, thinking how much those eyes looked like Sephiroth's. _

_ "Go away Seifer," Squall hissed, malevolence riding on his voice. He had learned over the years it was better to ignore Seifer; now with Yuffie with him, it wasn't much of an option. Her loud mouth would undoubtedly lead to trouble. _

_ "Stop being such a wuss," Seifer said derisively. He ran a hand through his short blonde hair, a blood-lusting smirk on his lips. Yuffie would've run, but she didn't want to leave Squall with this man. _

_ "Come on Yuffie, let's go." Squall didn't even look at him as he grabbed her wrist, dragging her away. She didn't dare look at Seifer. _

_ "You can't hide behind her forever Leonhart," Seifer whispered, eyes closing. "She can't always protect you." _

~*~*~*~*~

 "Protect me?" 

 Squall was staring up at the ceiling in deliberation. There were so many pieces of his past; Seifer, being a main one. Would he come back into his life too, like Sephiroth had? 

 _'No. Seifer is long dead.'_ Squall thought, somehow at ease with those words. He never cared about Seifer that much. They had their bouts of spite with each other and nothing more. He was just another face of his long forgotten past. The only thing that bothered him was that his past had to taunt him with fragments of it in his dreams.

 He turned over and looked at Yuffie, who was sleeping peacefully beside him. He absently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers tracing down her jaw. _'I don't deserve her,'_ he thought guiltily. _'Not after what I'd put her through.' _ He pressed his lips against hers, her warmth surging up to meet him. Her body helped to soothe the cramping in his chest that was making him freeze over. 

 Did she protect him? He found it hard to believe. But maybe that was what was making it so hard. He had always expected to figure out the answers himself, not sit back and let them come to him. It wasn't his style. But for that night, he made it be. 

 She did protect him. Not physically, but other ways that he wouldn't even begin to accomplish. Her out spoken personality had kept him in line, stopping him from saying things that would've taken him too far. She was his light, his sweet honey that kept his life from being a morose, miserable waste. Without her, he would've liked to consider himself dead. He gave her too little credit. 

 He kissed her once more, moving closer to rest in the crook of her neck. He needed sleep dearly, and she was giving him an open offering, consciously or unconsciously. His eyes drifted shut, and for once he didn't have to be worried or plagued with nightmares. He felt her body shift and she wrapped her arms around him, smiling serenely. She shielded him, and he protected her. He succumbed to sleep, his mind blank and free. 

 _Sleep…child…._

A/N: Retarded ending. Sorry for not updating for a while. I really didn't believe anyone was still reading this. I wouldn't. @_@;; 

 Any of you who are wondering, Shera really is Cid's mechanic in the FF7 game. She had long brown hair and glasses, and Cid usually yelled at her and called her stupid and stuff, but he got nicer to her near the end. That's all I can tell ya. Those graphics were really crappy and they never showed her up close. As for Seifer, he's Squall's rival and the antagonist in FF8. He's also the one who gave Squall his scar. Don't worry though; I won't be putting him in the story. 

 Nothing else to say, so just pray that I keep my mind clear and that I'm able to get the next chapter out without losing my mind. 


	16. Trouble in Atlantica

Bring Me to Life

Disclaimer: All of the newly created Heartless are mine. The rest are Squaresoft and Disney.

Chapter Sixteen: Trouble in Atlantica

_"What you build, what you've built means nothing_

_Weighed against what you've left behind"_

_  -Planes Mistaken for Stars _

_  Knuckle Hungry_

 The king sat silently in the throne room, fiddling with his beard hair. The trident laid unused and dulling next to him, jammed securely in its specially made slot. It had not been utilized for months, making it seem more like a decoration than an actual weapon. That was how he liked it though-the less the trident was used, the more peaceful it was. Yet…

 It was so quiet. Too quiet, in fact. It was enough proof for the king to know that his daughter was probably causing a ruckus somewhere. She had not been seen all morning, so she was either hiding something, or she was about to find something that was worth concealing. The thought of Ariel bringing more land treasures and more of her freaky friends made King Triton uneasy. 

 The robust but aging king glanced down, small skittering noises grabbing his attention. A small red figure climbed up his throne, coming to rest on the worn armrest. 

 "Sebastian," Triton said with easy informality, nodding toward the crab perched near his hand. The crab bowed as best he could, something that had always secretly amused the king. "Any reports?" There hadn't been anything to report for almost a year, but it was still a necessity that he ask. 

 "None, your majesty." 

 Triton sighed, whether out of relief or disappointment, he could not tell. His life was slipping away from his grasp, and he had nothing to do in his last days. The most exciting thing he did as of late was making his guards chase around his daughter, and even now she had started to give in more easily than before. Somehow he knew that it was because she felt that he would die soon too and didn't want to burden him any longer. 

 "Have you seen Ariel?" 

 Sebastian glanced around, and Triton knew at once that he was covering for Ariel. The young redhead often threatened the poor crab to keep her secrets, but after a few pokes and glares, the crustacean would always give in to the king. 

 "N-no…" Sebastian stuttered. Triton stared at him. Sebastian shook under his gaze, knowing it wasn't long before he cracked. He knew that he had to keep quiet though. If the king ever found out about _this_ secret, they were all done for. 

 "I know you're lying," the king whispered, his face looming over the small creature. Sebastian shook his head, mostly to convince himself that he wasn't, even though it was plain obvious that he was. 

 "I have not seen the Princess, your majesty." Sebastian managed to force out with dignity, knowing it was all for a false cause. The king would find out, naturally. It was like trying to conceal a rhino behind a shrub. It wouldn't be long before he discovered Altantica's new arrivals.

~*~*~*~*~

 Earlier that day….

 Yuffie sat quietly in one of the chairs, squished between her luggage and Squall's. She had deliberately hid herself there. For some reason, she liked to be surrounded and boxed in. She couldn't really explain it, but she didn't feel safe without things that were in arm's reach all around her. She couldn't stand to be in vast, barren places, where there was nothing for miles. Being jammed into such a spot told her that she was with people, and that she wasn't lost. That and, she was rummaging through Squall's luggage in what she hoped was an unnoticeable manner. 

 His personal belongings had always intrigued her, in a perplexing way that made her senses react. He hid so many things within his life, and touching his stuff was like stealing a glimpse behind his cold façade. 

 Her hand shoved aside his clothes, resisting the urge to grab all of them and wrap herself in his wonderful scent. She was on a mission, although she had to admit to herself that she had no idea what she was on a mission for. 

 "What's this?" she murmured, feeling soft leather brush against her hand. She pulled out the object, staring at the cover of the worn, brown leather photo book. Curiousness took over, and she instinctively opened it. 

 Smiling faces beamed up at her, save for one. A foreign feeling filled up her chest as she traced over the frowning face of Squall, around age fourteen. He seemed to be the only one that was truly unhappy with the photography, a look that mirrored the faces around him. She quickly recognized Aerith's, Luxina's, and Cloud's faces, along with others that she had never seen before. She was not included in the picture. Flipping the page, she stared at another pic of several faces that were a mystery to her. It seemed like they had been his classmates, because she had obviously never met them before. She scanned several more pages, stopping on the few that she recognized, and not even bothering with the ones she didn't. Her eyes finally came to rest on a particular photo, which was crumpled in what seemed to have been anger. 

 It showed Squall with his mother and father, but due to the creases, their faces were unreadable and blurred out. It was the only time she had ever seen him happy. A sadness filled her to think that he had gotten frustrated enough to almost destroy one of the only things left he had of his family.  Before she flipped the page, a picture caught her eye, directly below the one of his family. 

 _'That guy…'_

Again it showed Squall with his former classmates, but one stood out from the others. He was perched against a wall away from the group, frowning rudely at the camera. Yuffie stared at him as if he was possessed. His emerald eyes were filled with such malice that she felt like shredding the whole picture. 

 "Seifer was never one for picture taking," a voice commented behind her. Yuffie quickly snapped back into reality, shoving the album unceremoniously back into his bag. "No reason to be so hasty-I've been watching you the whole time."

 "Don't you have anything better to do?" the ninja snapped at the general, trying to zip up Squall's baggage. The damn thing was working against her and it refused to close. 

 "Not really." 

 "Was there anything wrong with him?" she questioned abruptly.

 Sephiroth's eyebrow's arched. "Seifer? Not mentally or physically, but I'd have to say that he was pretty screwed up." 

 "Like you?" 

 The man tilted his head to the side in thought. "Yes, like me. Exactly like me." 

  ~*~*~*~*~

 Squall closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. They had been circumnavigating Atlantica for hours, and he was starting to feel like a dinghy floating in water, with no destination. He didn't know what he had been thinking when he had allowed Sephiroth to pilot the ship to this planet. It was only after he had managed to pry himself from Yuffie's arms that he realized that the only ones that could live in Atlantica were the merpeople and marine life. He really couldn't believe how stupid he was. 

 The door creaked open and closed. Yuffie walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his back, sighing heavily. 

 "What's going on?" 

 "We can't get into Altantica." 

 "Huh?"

 Squall turned around, pulling her to him protectively. 

 "We need to either turn into mer-people, or grow gills, both of which I doubt is possible. Unless we find some way to breathe under water, we'll just have to pass this one." 

 "But what if the cure is here!" she demanded, clearly appalled. She couldn't just skip this planet because of a little roadblock! Ok, technically it was a huge roadblock, but she had to keep optimistic. 

 "We'll find a way…" he trailed off uncertainly. 

 Yuffie let go of him, sitting on his bed. She remembered the photo book and bit the inside of her cheek. Indecision weighed down her chest like an anchor. What would he say when she told him that she had been flipping though his personal belongings? If there was one thing that she had learned about Squall Leonhart, it was that he hated to have people snooping around in his own business. 

 "I was talking to Sephiroth," Yuffie managed to say. Like they always said, curiosity killed the cat.

 "Why?" 

 "He kinda cornered me." 

 "Cornered you?" Squall's eyes were riding on derision. Yuffie bit her lip this time, feeling the soft skin break beneath the serration she put it through. She shouldn't have said that.

 "I mean, he just caught me doing something stupid," she corrected vaguely, hoping to the high heavens that Sephiroth couldn't hear her at the moment. Squall's body relaxed, and Yuffie didn't know whether to feel insulted or not that he wasn't even bothering to ask what stupid thing she had been doing, as if she did it all the time. "And we ended up talking about…the past." 

 "Was he feeding you lies?" Squall asked, walking over to the window of the small cabin and leaning against its metal frame. The cerulean-hue of Atlantica winked at him out of the corner of his eye, reminding him of the nasty predicament they were in. 

 "No, just reminiscences." She didn't want this to turn into another session where Squall ended up venting about Sephiroth. 

 "Do you remember Seifer?" she asked abruptly. Squall turned and looked at her, and for once he looked genuinely startled. 

 "Of course I do," the brunette responded slowly, turning back to stare out the window. Sapphire stared into the endless abyss of space. Did she know about the dream he had? He was planning on just forgetting the whole thing, but now that she had brought it up, he didn't see why it would hurt to tell her about it. 

 "Well Sephiroth was telling me about him." 

 Yuffie didn't know why she was saying this to Squall. She should've just ignored it like all the other people in that album, but this one just wouldn't leave her alone. There was something about him that bugged her. The only thing that was stopping her from figuring him out was that she had no idea what to say. 

 "You want me to describe him?" Squall offered, even though he wasn't really inclined to do so. Describing meant talking, and in Yuffie's case, that would be _a lot._ But if she was going out of her way to ask about a person she barely knew, he figured the least he could do was help her out. 

 "That would be nice." 

 "Seifer…I can't really say much about him either. I never considered him an enemy, but he was never my friend either. He was like a dog, in a sense. All bark but no bite. He was arrogant and hated close proximity, but he never really did much, besides get into a few brawls." 

 "Why can't I stop thinking about him?" 

 Squall frowned, the gesture marring his calm features. His hair fell past his face, and Yuffie once again was left to stare at his brown locks. He was different from most men she knew-he had a certain quality, a handsomeness that she couldn't place. His features were very defined and recognizable that they seemed almost sexless. Somehow the ninja found that to be wrong. He needed to have textures; a roughness to him to show the world what he had been forced to go through, like a diamond chipped from cold stone. 

 "He naturally stood out, and played- at the time- a big part in my life. He's gone now." 

 He said the last part quietly, admitting the final fatality of his long ago rival. He remembered quite clearly everyone that he had ever lost- once a face was acquainted to his memory, they never left it. There was a part of his mind that buried their expressions, personalities, and figures for his to recall upon time and time again. He often wished that he could banish that part of his mind into oblivion, because he found himself returning to that place countless times, especially in times of loneliness and solitude. Unfortunately for him, which was almost all the time.

 "He was just like Luxina," Yuffie whispered. Squall retreated his gaze from the window once more, watching her knuckles pale as she clasped his bed sheets tightly in her hands. Her eyes looked livid and alert, as if reliving a memory long since past. 

 "I couldn't do a thing about it," she gasped, her breath coming out ragged and uncontrolled. Whatever cool she had been holding earlier as she asked about his past was gone, replaced by a feverish delirium that enveloped her fully, making her eyes cloud and brain swarm with emotion. "I could barely remember her…I had been so angry at her. When I finally realized that she was one of the few pieces I had left of my past, she was gone, just like the wind. She traveled away from me and I couldn't stop it, I couldn't see. She was just so far…" Yuffie choked on her words, but something propelled her forward, far past the reaches of her own will. 

 "Everyone says that Sephiroth and Seifer were screwed up. That they were crazy, insane. I thought so too, until I realized I was just like them. I'm screwed up too. The way I cry every night…it's just a lie. I'm scared Squall, I can't take the things around me. When everyone died that day they all just assumed I was ok with it, but I wasn't. I hated everyone that was allowed to live, when my parents weren't. Why could they live on when my parents perished? They don't deserve it dammit, THEY DON'T!" 

 Squall watched her, somewhat aghast, as she flung herself from the bed, as if scorched by it. She stood in the middle of the room, her eyes flaring like a madwoman. He knew that he had to stop her soon. Her disease was causing her adrenaline system to speed up again, and she was becoming dangerously violent and angry.

 "Yuffie calm down. You're disease will permanently harm you if you don't compose yourself." 

 "No! Don't you understand Squall? I'm twisted! Everyone thinks I'm so childish and innocent, but I'm not! I was so angry that my parents had to pass away, that I started to kill everyone in my mind that was able to live through that day. I did horrible things to them- butchered, stabbed, shot them. I did it to Cid, Aerith, Cloud, even myself. I wanted to just fade away, but I wanted to bring everyone down with me. I thought that if my parents didn't live, no one would. So I killed them all, I mangled them in my subconscious mind, tearing them apart to what I saw fit. People call others twisted by what they see them do, but if anyone ever saw what I've done, they'll never come near me. That's why I cry at night. Because I hate what I've become. I really believed I wanted to die, but after being diagnosed with this disease, I realized that I was too afraid to do so. I…oh gawd Squall!" 

 She finally broke down, collapsing to a heap on his floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn't believe she had just told him that. 

 Squall bent down next to her, bringing her into his arms. He breathed into her hair, still unable to digest all he had heard. Yuffie, _his_ Yuffie…of all people…

 They laid there in silence, the only noise being Yuffie's wails. She clung to him with all her strength, fearing that he'd leave her too. What did he think of her now? Was he repulsed? Scared? She would die if he ever stopped loving her. 

 "Yuffie…." 

 "Just say it," she moaned, her forehead on fire. The disease was making her queasy, and she really was in need of an analgesic. "Say that I'm a horrible and disgusting person and you're ashamed of me. I won't blame you if you just leave me now." 

 "….I wasn't going to say that." She felt his soft lips press to her neck, making a trail of butterfly kisses. "And I think you knew that too." 

 "I couldn't kill you though," she let his hands roam her body, subconsciously feeling him tugging off her gloves and his. "I couldn't even try…I-"

 "Shhh…" Squall purred into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine. His hair tickled the side of her face like a feather as he gently pushed her onto the ground. Silently his slipped off his black shirt, the material falling to the ground in a wrinkly heap. 

 Yuffie had to admit as she watched him, she really had no idea what he was doing. Some part of her told her what he wanted, but another part of her refused to give in to such a frivolous idea. The last thing she had ever pictured in her mind was him _willingly_ making love to her without some kind of Satanic being forcing him to do so. She certainly wasn't perfect, and she was positive that even he didn't know of the scars that she had managed to conceal over all those years. 

 She could feel her breath getting labored with excitement, and a gradually increasing curiosity. Truthfully, she had never seen him naked. Never seen any naked man for that matter. She had no reason to be thinking about unclothed males when she had much more important things to be thinking about, like how to spend a whole day in Traverse Town driving Cid crazy. 

 _'Would he actually do it without my consent?' _Yuffie's mind speculated. After all, he hadn't exactly given her a choice when he had pushed her down and started to take of his jacket. He was a man of few words, and she feared that maybe he had already decided that she had wanted this. In a nutshell, she was scared. 

 "Squall," she whimpered, clutching to his bare back, not even aware of when he had removed his white tee. His Griever was pressed uncomfortably against her scarf, which felt like it was coiling itself around her in attempts to suffocate what little air she had left. 

 "Yuffie, I won't do this if you don't want to," Squall said seriously, looking her dead on. "If you want to stop, tell me now." 

 "No…I…" 

 She felt so confused. She couldn't say that she didn't want to, because that would be a lie. She had always pictured committing herself fully to him in such a way, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. Somehow she felt that if she told him to stop, then there would forever be a rift between them. She didn't want to take such a chance, after all the work she had done just to get him. 

 "Don't stop." She enunciated every word, knowing that her voice faltered as she said that. She might be afraid, but she wasn't ashamed, and she was sure that he felt the same way. Of course it was easier said than done to picture Squall ever _scared_ of anything.

 Squall nodded his head as if knowing her answer, his perceptive eyes shining in what she had to call a mischievous manner. She had learned that his eyes were like open books- full of complexity but easy to read. 

 Her thoughts came to a gaping stop as he kissed her again, startling her with his tongue. She responded, albeit hesitantly, allowing him to caress her mouth with his own.  She barely remembered him picking her up and placing her on the bed, never once breaking his kiss. 

 She was clinging to him tightly for support, completely unaware of what she was supposed to do. The bed creaked loudly, making both of its occupants stiffen. With that one sound came a flood of voices and doubts.

 _'What am I doing?'_

 'Stop…he's coming…' 

 _'Who's coming? Who are you?'_

_ 'What the hell?'_ Yuffie blinked in mild confusion, staring up into the heavy eyes of Squall. He noticed her hesitation almost instantly. The way she was gripping his shoulders now, her eyes flickering around uncertainly as if looking for someone…

 "What's the matter?" 

 "Did you hear that?" She was moving around insistently under him now, as if sure there was someone else there. 

 "Hear who?" 

 "That voice." Metallic and low, the one speaking to her had been mostly definitely inhuman. That she was sure of. But whether it was in her head or tangible she had no idea. 

 "It told me to stop because he was coming…" 

 As if on cue, a loud knock sounded on the door, making the walls shake from the unexpected pounding. Whoever was on the other side of the door was pretty damn impatient.

 _'Fuck it, Sephiroth.'_

Squall's groan sounded more prolonged and angered than usual, almost mirroring the slams against the door. He softly rolled off of her without a word, leaving Yuffie to contemplate what she had been about to do. Unfortunately that didn't last for long. 

 "Couldn't have picked a better time to fuck, could you?" Sephiroth didn't have that normal cocky look in his eyes that Yuffie had become accustomed to. He looked…pissed. 

 "We weren't-" Yuffie stuttered hopelessly, wondering why she felt that Sephiroth deserved an explanation. That was all a worthless cause of course. How could she explain what they were doing when she wasn't even sure herself? 

 _'Oh gawd.' _What had she been thinking? She was sixteen years old for crying out loud. She had barely known what it was and she was prepared just to plow blindly into it. It was like jumping over a cliff and hoping that you would go ker-splat at the bottom. 

 "We've got a problem," Sephiroth growled, his hand resting on the side of the door. No, not resting. More like _tearing._ "While you two were frolicking in bed here, we've been completely surrounded by Heartless gummi's-" 

 "Heartless gummi's?" Yuffie demanded, overcoming her current embarrassment to replace it with shock. "There's no such thing!" 

 "Well there is now," the general hissed, his grip tightening on the door mantle. Yuffie wouldn't be too surprised to see claw marks there later. If there would even be a later…

 "Excuse me! Can't you control them, smarty-pants? Why don't you go over there and send them away?" 

 Sephiroth eyes burned like a million suns. Yuffie bit her lip, wondering what she had said wrong. _'Everything probably…'_

"When I agreed to help you," he began in an agitated voice, "I gave up control over the Heartless. When someone does something without anything in it for them, some of the darkness recedes. That is common knowledge of most people. The Heartless can only be controlled by someone completely emerged in the darkness, whereas I am not anymore." 

 "You did this of you own will? Why?" 

 "Who's controlling them now then?" Squall interrupted her before she could let out a myriad of questions. He was still standing in just his black pants and necklace, arms crossed over his chest in a rigid fashion. 

 "We can worry about that later. For now, we need to land." 

 "We can't," Squall reminded him, starting to get peeved about the whole situation. Without a word, he brushed past Sephiroth, walking into the cockpit. He couldn't believe what he saw.

 "What are we gonna do?" Yuffie felt like she was a young girl asking her father which way to go. She was still-thankfully-fully dressed, expect for her shoes, gloves, and scarf. As soon as Squall had swept out of the room, she had fixed her eyes on Sephiroth, him doing the same. When he didn't answer though, she started out of the small window in worry.

 "I don't see any of them." 

 "Not from the angle you're looking from. They're mostly at the front of the ship anyways." 

 "Can they kill us?"

 "If they get onto the ship, yes." He walked quietly over to her, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder. Yuffie resisted the urge to push him away. Somehow, his presence calmed her more than it would have if there had been no one at all. 

 "We have to land, Yuffie." 

 "I know…but how? We can't breathe down there. All the other planets are too far away. And how can we be sure we won't be attacked and shot by them while we try?" 

 "Too many questions," he responded with a somewhat cynical grin. His hand fell to her arm, and he pulled her up. 

 "Don't bother putting on your shoes. You won't be needing them." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Squall stared at the large black ships in utter amazement. Was that all he felt? Truly, he thought he would feel some else-something more like anger and hate. But no, the Heartless ships did nothing short of amaze him. What bothered him was who was controlling them, why, and how they evolved enough to be able to pilot a ship as complex as a gummi. There was no way that those Heartless were the same as any they had encountered before. 

 "Holy-" 

 Yuffie came up behind him, clamping onto him arm like another limp. Her eyes were wide and almond-shaped, the reflection of the blinking panel shining in her eyes. Sephiroth was standing a few feet away from her on her right, staring at the ships as if he'd seen the a million times. 

 "Oh cripes, we're gonna die." 

 Squall sighed. Whoever called Yuffie a sunny person obviously hadn't heard her bouts of up-to-the-minute pessimism. 

 "We're not going to die." 

 "I'm landing it now." Sephiroth said with firm resolution, seating himself in the pilot's chair. Yuffie gawked at him, and Squall nodded his head quietly, subconsciously pulling the small ninja closer. 

 "You're crazy," Yuffie blurted out, gripping onto Squall's bare chest. "Crazy. We.Are.Going.To.Die! We're going to be mince meat and some giant shark is going to come along and gobble us up!" 

 "You're _beautifully_ optimistic attitude is _really_ helping the situation," Sephiroth muttered, sarcasm deeply threaded in his voice. "Now shut up and let me concentrate." 

 Nosed scrunched up and brow wrinkled in a pouting face, Yuffie sat onto the seat next to him, leaving Squall to stand between the two front seats, leaning on the headrests. 

_ 'Yuffie's right. This is crazy.' _Squall rubbed the scar between his eyes, feeling the soft tissue give a slight sting in response. _'We're teasing death here. Not like we haven't done it before, though.' _

 A scream brought him back and he stared straight ahead as the Heartless ships opened fire. 

~*~*~*~*~

 Ariel stared critically at her newest discovery-a falling-to-pieces statue of a human man, small enough for her to hold in her hand. A naked one, she noted with a comical expression. It never failed to amuse her to see what the mermen seemed to be lacking. 

 "Ariel!" the stubby fish came swimming into view, his round body making him pant with effort. His eyes were wide and full of premonition. 

 "Flounder, what's up?" 

 "Y-your father wants you-pant pant-wants you to come to the palace IMMEDIATELY!" 

 "Why?" Ariel placed gripped the statue protectively to her chest, obviously coming to the wrong conclusion. 

 "No, not that." Flounder motioned toward the statue with his small fin. "Remember those swimming monsters that Sora defeated a while ago?" 

 "Yes. How could I forget." She gripped the sculpture of the male even tighter now, fearing that Flounder would tell her exactly what she didn't want to hear. 

 "They're back. With more friends than before." Flounder swam urgently over to her and started to tug on her arm. "Please Ariel, we have to leave now before their numbers increase! There's only a few now-if we're lucky, we won't get caught." 

 "Is Sora here too?" 

 Flounders face became pained and tight, his lips puckering up. Ariel's heart fell upon seeing this. She already knew the answer. 

 "Come on then," she whispered softly. "We'll go." 

 They swam out of her the grotto, Ariel leaving the statue behind her. They both grimaced when the rock made a rough grounding noise against the sand. They swam hastily to the king's court, but froze when they came to the main entrance. Heartless floated around aimlessly, just itching for a fight. Flounder instinctively hid behind Ariel. 

 "What are we gonna do?" he stuttered, gripping onto her waist with his fins. Ariel inched back the way she came, not turning her back on the Heartless. They were the same ones she remembered, except for one. There was a huge black shark darting through the water, with huge gray horns curled on its head. Its teeth were almost blood red. 

 "A-ariel…." 

 "Be quiet. We'll head back to the grotto and think there." 

 "But-" 

 "SHH!!" 

 ~*~*~*~

 Ariel and Flounder swam deftly around the corners, trying to look as inconspicuously as possible. The sea princess prayed that her father wouldn't send his guard's out-she could already picture that black shark frying them and eating them as dinner. She was thankful that they were able to get back without having to fight. But…

 "Why are you stopping?" Flounder came up besides her, darting his eyes around nervously. "Please keep moving…" 

 "Something's not right," Ariel said shortly. "You can go and hide, but I want to find help." 

 "Who are we going to ask?!" Flounder demanded, following after Ariel despite wanting to cower in a corner. "Everyone is at the palace!" 

 Ariel swam so fast that Flounder eventually had to latch onto her to keep pace. She was going somewhere, although heaven even knew where that was. 

 "Haven't you noticed that we didn't get the Heartless until human's came to our world? If they're here again, then _someone_ who is not supposed to be here is. It may not be Sora, but if these people are important enough to bring the Heartless back, then I think they can help us." 

 "Whatever you say." Ariel's speed was making him want to chatter his teeth-if he had any. They both stayed silent for a while, until finally Flounder spoke up. 

 "What's that?" 

 A crashed ship lay half-buried in the sand. It looked relatively undamaged, except for maybe a slightly bent nozzle. There was also some unusually bullet like holes in its exterior. As they neared it, they could read out the inscriptions 'Shiva' on the side. 

 "That looks exactly like the ship Sora came in!" Ariel gasped excitedly, getting closer. Flounder pulled her back though. 

 "What are you doing? What if it's a trap?" 

 "Oh Flounder! Stop being a worrywart. It's not a trap." 

 Ariel swam straight up to it, peeking inside of the window. A frown etched across her face. "No one's here…" 

 "Maybe they died.." 

 "FLOUNDER!"

 "Sorry..it's just that I-AHHH!" 

 Ariel glared at Flounder for his outburst. "What is it now?" 

 "Who's that?" 

 A girl came floundering into sight, gripping her head as if in excruciating pain. She had short brown hair and hazy brown eyes. As for clothes, she wore a small green top and black fishnets climbing up her arms. She had a line of small looking stars strapped to around her waist, which Ariel figured were her weapons. Her tail was a mix of green and yellow, and from the looks of it, she had no idea how to use it. 

 "Christ almighty," Yuffie moaned. "I can't feel my legs…I must've died…" She squinted with difficulty, trying to make out her surroundings. Why did everything look so damn blue? 

 "Are you alright?" 

 Yuffie attempted to whirl around, only to find that she had extreme obscurity doing so. Growling with frustration at the sudden loss of her legs, she glared down at…a tail? 

 "What is THAT!?" The ninja screamed at it as if it was going to answer back. She twisted around frantically, the flurried movements making her head spin. "Where am I? Where are my legs?" 

 Her eyes fell upon the gummi ship, and her eyes widened with realization. 

 "I'm a mermaid," she cried dubiously, throwing her hands up. "And I'm lost. Great. Just great." 

 Ariel and Flounder watched Yuffie rant to herself, wondering if that's how all humans reacted to having no legs. They weren't sure who she was either, and to them, she seemed pretty senile. 

 "Are you alone?" Ariel asked pensively, moving slowly toward her. "Or is someone with you?" 

 "There _were_ people with me," Yuffie murmured, glancing around at her environment. "So this is Atlantica…Sora was right…" 

 "You know Sora?" Ariel and Flounder said at the same time. They came right up to her, a little too close in the ninja's opinion. Her mind was still clouded, and she didn't want close proximity at the moment. 

 "Yeah. He's one of my friends." _'What's their problem?'_ she wondered. _'How many acquaintances did Sora make anyways?'_  "What's it to you?" 

 "We need your help," Ariel blurted out, clutching her hands together. "There are Heartless here and-" 

 "Heartless?" Yuffie demanded brusquely. Ariel and Flounder nodded. "Dammit…then we need to find my friends first." 

 "What do they look like?" 

 "Umm…" Yuffie thought for a moment. "Well…one of them has long silver hair and green eyes. The other has brown hair about as long as mine with blue eyes. They're both male. As for the bottom half…I have no idea." 

 "You mean you haven't seen them as mermen." 

 "Exactly." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Squall grasped tightly onto the hilt of his Gunblade, his eyes narrowed and cold. Sea fronds and other sea flowers swayed back and forth behind him, once in a while tickling his bare back. He looked intently out at the vast sea, his gaze flickering across anything that dare moved. That included the silver figure moving swiftly back and forth around him. 

 "We should go back," Squall stated monotonously, wishing that Sephiroth would stop moving long enough to listen to him. He silently thanked that Sephiroth wasn't always half fish-it made him hyper for some stupid reason. 

 "Yuffie'll be fine." 

 "Knowing her, no she won't." 

 "Figures. She probably has a whole army after us by now." Sephiroth stopped darting around to stare in the direction of the ship. 

 "How did you do this?" 

 Sephiroth turned a guarded eye toward him. His emerald orbs seemed more prominent against the blue hue down here than it was anywhere else. 

 "Black magic," Sephiroth stated wryly, as if distasting it himself. Of course, Squall thought logically, it would've been almost impossible for Sephiroth to get his hands on white magic. "You OK with that?" 

 "As long as it doesn't make us explode, yeah." 

~*~*~*~*~

 "This bites," Yuffie commented as she sat slumped on a smoothed out rock. Ariel wagged her finger at her and just continued on with her lesson, completely oblivious to the shinobi's aggravation. 

 She didn't know how to swim. Sure, as a kid she had taken some time to learn the basic treading and arm and leg movements, but nothing more. Both Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion didn't require the ability to swim, so she had just brushed it off. But now, not only did she have to learn all over again, but also she had to learn without her legs. 

 "OK, Flounder will swim to various places and you just try to find him. I have to keep a lookout until your friends get back." Ariel told her this in a commanding tone, and Yuffie got a vague picture of what her father might be like. 

 "Whatever you say." 

 Yuffie slid off of the rock and managed to right herself without doing a complete spin around. For lack of better words, she felt like a moron. A really big one to be exact. 

 "Ok ya' lil' fat guppy…where are you?" She glanced around, seeing a small patch of moving yellow and blue. She swam over to it as best she could. It wasn't easy suddenly having one large leg instead of one. Her limbs had been completely melded together into one large tail, and it was not easy to maneuver. Whoever said it was bliss to be a mermaid didn't realize that to moving the tail took almost all of the muscles in your body. 

 "I always liked to try something new, but this is just ridiculous…" 

 After chasing about the flounder, she finally started to get the hang of it. Her lower body throbbed from being forced into such work, but overall she was a pretty happy camper. _'A dying happy camper…' _

 "You could've told us you didn't know how to swim," Sephiroth called out to her as he came into view. He had a long silver tail, the exact same color as his hair. Squall was lagging behind him in a bored fashion, his grayish-black fin swishing around slowly and his Gunblade pulling behind him. His Griever necklace hung around his neck, the roaring lion looking fitting against his bare chest. 

 "_You_ could've told me where you went," she spat back defensively. "We were sitting ducks out here!" 

 "Who's your friend?" Squall inquired to the ninja, glancing that the redhead with a stoic demeanor. He roughly shoved a hand through his locks as he asked this. He was dying for a hair tie- his damn hair kept floating into his face and it was getting rather annoying. 

 "This is…" Yuffie trailed off, realizing that she had never bothered to find out her name. "That's Flounder," she filled in, turning her gaze to the fish. And that is-" 

 "Ariel," the princess cut in for her politely. "I am the daughter of King Triton, the ruler of Atlantica. I am requesting your help in escorting me to the palace. "

 "She can't get by the Heartless," Yuffie added in helpfully. "She wants us to get rid of the Heartless for her." 

 "We can't do that," Squall said loudly, fingering the metal of his Gunblade. "Only the Keyblade master can do that." 

 "Sora? Why isn't he here?" 

 Sephiroth, Squall and Yuffie actually had the same expressions for once. Why _wasn't_ Sora with them? It would've made so much sense to bring him along. He would seal the doors and defeat the Heartless while they found a cure. Not only that, but maybe they wouldn't get their asses kicked so much if they had him around. 

 "Winky tit basket," Yuffie cursed under her breath. 

 "What?" Squall looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Winky-" 

 "Yeah, you heard me right." Yuffie cut in before he could even ask. It was bad enough that people scolded her for cussing; if they started to yell at her for her own made up words than Satan be damned! Not that he wasn't damned already, mind you. 

 "Maybe it would be in our best interests to contact him once we escort the princess back to the palace," Sephiroth stated with a resigned look, his face slightly pallid. Yuffie nodded, and the five of them slowly made their way to the court. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Cid stared dismally at the inhabitants of his shop, ready to blow a fuse any second. They were mutilating his precious shop, damnit! From clean and-in his opinion- obviously manly, it was now bright, smelling of pine trees, and filled with every square inch with Christmas lights and frills. It was enough to drive a man insane. The sad part was that Sora and Cloud seemed to have no problem with it. 

 "All we need is that hideous caroling music to turn this place into a shop of horrors," Cid growled sarcastically. Cloud made a short laugh, cutting it short due to Aerith's glare. Sora was humming along to himself, helping Kairi and Aerith decorate the tree. 

 "Oh Cid," Shera made a clucking noise with her tongue. "For heaven's sake, Christmas only comes once a year- the least you can do is not look like you just came back from the morgue!" 

 "The fuck with Christmas," he said with hissing blasphemy. "And if you keep it up, this place might as well be the death of me! Shit, I'm practically inhalin' pine's up my nose!" 

 He actually got Donald laughing on that one, something he had never thought possible. He wasn't there to entertain though. All he wanted was to be alone, and for his store not to look like the inside of a girl's dressing room, minus all of the lights and the tree.

 "I feel so bad for Yuffie and Squall," Shera sighed deeply, ignoring Cid's vehement glares. "I hope they're OK…" 

 "I wonder if they even remember it's almost Christmas?" Sora thought out loud, trying miserably to place the angel at the top of the tree without toppling it. When he had been about twelve, he had done so at Kairi's house, nearly obliterating half of her living room. It didn't help that that same girl was staring him down like a tiger ready to pounce either. 

 "Are you sure you don't want Cloud to do it?" Kairi asked in an unconvinced tone for the millionth time. She was as nervous as hell that he was going to send the whole thing flying. She loved him, but she also couldn't put his clumsiness past him. 

 "I can do it," Sora gritted with fierce determination. 

 "At least let Riku-" 

 "NO!" 

 "Just leave him alone Kairi, before he has a heart attack and faints on the damn thing," Riku snorted. He was lying casually on the couch, a warm cup of hot cocoa perched precariously on his belly. No one seemed to need any particular help, (counting out Sora), and he was in no mood to help anyone at the moment. Not that he ever was. Albeit, a cocky smirk crossed his face when he laid his eyes on the obviously disgruntled Cid. Smiling straight at the pilot, he slowly opened his mouth and started to sing. 

 "_Deck the halls…"_

 Cid's eyes widened with horror as he stared at the smug teen sprawled on the couch, eyes closed and head tilted back. 

 "You wouldn't dare," he started.

 "_With boughs of holly_…" 

 Never mind that Riku had an incredible singing voice. He was going to go right up there and ring the damn boy's neck if he had to! Why did Fate have to do this to him? He was going to die with the horrible ringing sound of that devil song in his head.

 _'Of course it gets worse,'_ Cid thought as he heard Sora and Kairi join in with their friend. _'If one of them does it, they all just have to do it too don't they? I can already see them jumping off of a cliff together…' _

 _"Fa la la la la, la la la la_!" 

 "I swear to Shiva…" 

 _"'Tis the season to be jolly,"_

"Christ Cloud not you too…" 

 "Fa la la la la, la la la la!" 

As if sent from God, Cid's small mobile contact device started to hum. Cid, eager for any reason to get away from his psychotic singing friends, grabbed it as if it was a million bucks. He clicked it on and yelled out over the singing? 

 "Ya, who is it?" 

 "CID!" 

 "YUFFIE!?" he screamed, leaning against the counter to steady himself. "Shit, how are you?" 

 "Is that Yuffie?" Aerith was practically on top of the poor pilot, trying to grab the device away from him. "Let me talk to her!" She was literally on the counter top, leaning over and trying to grab at it. 

 "Get away woman! Where are ya,brat!" 

 "Atlantica! Let me talk to Sora for a second, will you?"

 "ATLANTICA!? How the hell-" 

 "Cid! Never mind that! Just get Sora!"  

 "Awright…." Cid pushed the phone to his chest to block out most of the noise. "Hey Sora!" the brunette looked up with his innocent blue orbs. "Yuffie wants to talk to you." 

 Sora jumped down from the fireplace that he had been standing on, and Kairi let out a very audible sigh of relief. Watching Kairi with a disbelieving frown as he took he phone from Cid, he gently asked what was wrong. 

 "Sora, we need you," Yuffie's voice whined somewhat unclearly across the distance that they were separated across. "There are so many Heartless. We are at Atlantica right now with Ariel. We barely got back to the palace alive!" She said the word 'alive' with emphasis. 

 "Wait…you want me to…" 

 "Come here and travel with us," Yuffie finished guiltily. For a while Sora didn't answer. He was torn between helping them and staying with his friends. Especially Kairi…

 "Don't worry," Sora said with cheeriness, despite the choice he had to make. "I'll help you." 

 "Really?" Yuffie sounded ecstatic. "Oh gawd thank you Sora! I love you! No offense Squall," he heard Yuffie mutter apologetically. Sora blinked in confusion. 

 "Why are you apologizing?" he asked densely. Yuffie gave a short laugh. 

 "Oh Sora! I have so much to tell you! So when can you come?" 

 "Umm..after I set up the Christmas decorations and ask for Kairi's permission…Yuffie, are you there?" 

 "Christmas decorations?" 

 "Yeah Yuffie. It's Christmas in seven days." 

 Sora could actually hear her splutter over the other end of the line. 

 "JESUS CHRIST ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" 

 "Yeah. You guys didn't remember?" 

 "No, I was kinda preoccupied with me dying and everything." Sora frowned. 

 "I'm sorry Yuffie. I didn't mean-" 

 "It's not your fault. Oh, anyways, we'll be waiting for you at Triton's palace. Please come as fast as you can. Tell everyone I miss them." Sora could hear yelling at the other end the line that sounded like two arguing males. "Agh, gotta go. Oh, and tell Aerith I'm sorry." With those last words, she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie sighed as the device clicked off. It hadn't been easy to use it. It had been created purely out of magic, because all of their other ones had burned out right when they had hit the water. It still surprised her that Sephiroth had the capacity to do such things. It was no wonder that only Sora had been able to take him down. 

 She stared fondly down at her tail. She had to admit that she loved the colors. It was so interesting to look down and not see the same old scratched up ordinary legs that she was stuck staring at day after day. 

 "What did he say?" Squall came up next to her. She was seated on the ground, completely fascinated by her new limb.

 "He said he'll come as fast as he can." 

 "You really like that thing don't you?" he motioned toward her tail. 

 "Yeah. I don't feel the pain anymore." 

 "What pain?" Squall demanded. _'Seriously, he's so overprotective. Not that I mind.'_

 She grinned sheepishly. "For a few days now, my body has been aching everywhere, especially my legs. It felt like growing pains, but I just ignored it because I didn't believe it was that bad." 

 "Yuffie, if anything hurts you have to tell me," Squall said seriously, leaning down to stroke her face with his hand. 

 "I know…" 

 "It doesn't hurt because the venereal disease spreads from your genitalia to the rest of you body. With the most infected limbs removed, the pain is a lot less, even almost nonexistent. If it gets too painful I have a bottle of painkillers for you to use. They're pretty strong though so I wouldn't suggest it unless it's really unbearable." 

 "Speaking of unbearable, you haven't been so…bad lately," Yuffie commented, staring at the general. As much as she wanted to hate him for giving her the disease in the first place, she just couldn't bring herself to do it now that he was being so helpful. 

 Sephiroth stared back, nodding and quieting himself. Yuffie spoke up once more. 

 "Christmas is in a week." Silence. 

 "You guys didn't know, did you?" 

 "I did," Sephiroth murmured truthfully. "I chose not to tell you though." 

 "Why?" Yuffie demanded. She turned to Squall for support. He only shook his head. 

 "We both agreed not to tell you because we didn't want to make this more difficult than it already was." 

 "Oh…" 

 Yuffie was finding it very hard to keep her anger at them. She inflated as fast a balloon and deflated just as quickly. The more watchful they became of her, the more she was finding herself loving them in return. As twisted and ironic as loving two men could be. But the feelings she felt for them were definitely different. 

 "I am going to go talk to King Triton," Squall told Yuffie. He bent down and kissed her gently on the lips, letting them linger for a little while longer than was appropriate. He then swam away toward the ruler of Atlantica. 

 Yuffie watched him go, still immersed and relishing his lips on hers. He was so beautiful to her. She really really loved him, and she didn't know what she would do if he ever left her. 

 Ariel swam up to her father and Squall, and Triton and Ariel gave each other a swift hug. A pang swirled through Yuffie's heart.

 _'Don't worry Yuffie-kin's, some day you'll be the Greatest Female Ninja ever!'_

Yuffie cursed under her breath, steeling her eyes against the tears that were sure to come. 

 _'Is that your father?'_

"Get out of my head," Yuffie hissed at the same voice that had warned her while she was with Squall. Sephiroth glanced at her, smirking slightly. She stuck out her tongue at him, mostly to show that she wasn't battling herself emotionally at the moment. 

 _'You miss him…' _

"Shuttup!" 

 "Having a bond with your summon is essential to calling him forth, you know. He's only trying to help," Sephiroth offered, glancing at her with his sharp eyes. 

 "I know…what, wait. What summon?" 

 "Kamakiri, lord of the insects. He's the preying mantis that was breathing down your neck in Wonderland." 

 "I have a summon!?" _'The Lord of the insects, no less. I never did like bugs…'_

"Yes. You have to learn how to call him forth in times of need. " 

 "How?" 

 "I'll teach you later," Sephiroth answered shortly. Yuffie scowled when he smiled at her and moved slightly away. 

 "Hey, where are you-" 

 "Hello." 

 Yuffie looked to toward the new comers voice. She blinked in confusion when she realized that this person-merman-was no one she had ever met before. 

 "Hello," she returned with a false cheery grin. He had blond spiked hair, almost similar to Sora's, but a lot tamer. He cocked his head to the side and stared at her with swirling gray eyes. 

 "You're not from around here, are you?" He swished over and sat next to her on the floor. Yuffie stared at his profile. He was about seventeen or eighteen, she decided uncomfortably. She had never hung much around her own peers, it she felt at a loss of what to say. 

 "No." 

 The boy laughed softly, moving his cornflower blue tail around. "That's what I thought. I usually notice girls like you." 

 "What's that supposed to mean?" 

 The boy shook his head, turning to look straight in her eyes. Yuffie darted her eyes around nervously, not trusting the waves that roared and danced behind his grayish orbs. Sephiroth had picked a wholly good time to leave her. Likewise for Squall too.

 "Pretty. You're pretty." It was hardly flattering.

 "Is that why you're talking to me know? Are you manipulating me?" 

 The boy's eyes widened with surprise. Suppressing a grin, he finally stopped staring at her and faced straightforward. Yuffie let out a silent breath of relief. Where the hell was Squall? Maybe he wasn't coming over because he assumed that she was just making friends, instead of being flirted with. 

 "You don't trust people, do you?" 

 "I have a boyfriend." 

 "I know." The boy pointed to Squall, whose back was conveniently turned away from them. "Him right?" 

 "Yes," Yuffie ground out. "So stop trying to get under my skirt." 

 "Skirt?" He asked with confusion. Yuffie mentally slapped herself when she realized they probably didn't have any skirts in Atlantica. 

 "Oh never mind. If you know I'm already taken why-" 

 "It's more fun that way," he cut her off, smiling in a childish manner. Yuffie had to admit, if she wasn't already with Squall, she would've been long ago blushing with this boy. 

 "What's your name?" the ninja asked warily, still not sure that she should even be conversing with the flirty merman.  

 "Kir," the boy said cheerily. Yuffie's heart ached with a longing when she realized how much he sounded like Sora. She really wished he was here…

 "Having fun?" the platinum haired general asked as he swam up to them. God only knew where he went, but Yuffie was desperate for any way out. "Whose your friend?" 

 "Kir," the boy stated before Yuffie could respond. She wasn't certain she could've anyways. There was a mischievous glint in Sephiroth's eyes that made her to believe that he knew that Kir would come over and bother her. 

 "Squall wants to speak to you," Sephiroth told the ninja with a smirk. She colored slightly and slowly rose from her seating on the floor. 

 "That's his name?" Kir mumbled thoughtfully. "Just like the violent storms we get." 

 "Perfect words to describe him if he catches you flirting with me," Yuffie growled like a cat at the blonde. Kir laughed once more and waved off her threat. Yuffie noted for the first time that he had a dagger strapped around his waist as she got up and swam over to Squall. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. 

 "You need something?" the shinobi asked heartily as she latched onto Squall's arm, hugging it between her breasts. Squall didn't seem bothered by the show of affection, and gently ran his hand through her short russet hair. 

 "We might have to go back to the undersea valley to greet Sora when he comes here. It is dangerous for him to come here alone, seeing as there are Heartless that he might've not encountered before." 

 "You would've been a good tactics commander," Yuffie commented with a giggle. A small smile tugged at the edges of the Gun wielders lips, but he forced it down, choosing instead to finger with Yuffie's locks to distract himself. Yuffie watched him for a long time, until finally he asked why.

 "I just remembered what you said about Seifer. All bark and no bite. That's what you called me in the Jungle when you first kissed me." 

 Squall smiled benignly, kissing her on the forehead. "I'm surprised you remembered." 

 "I'll never forget that," she tried to say sarcastically. It came out sounding romantically corny. "So," she began the conversation again, "are we going to go meet Sora there or what?" 

 "Yeah, just hold on a sec." 

 "Ok." 

 "We'll be out of here soon," Squall tried to comfort her. 

 "We haven't even begun to look for the cure yet," Yuffie moaned. She glanced down at her tail briefly before confessing. "I kinda like it here anyways." 

 Squall's eyes softened. "Because you don't feel the pain as much?" 

 "Yeah." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 The gummi ship hummed softly, dampening Sora's senses. It was so peaceful up here. To the dark atmosphere, empty cockpit, and whirring controls, it made his mind complete elated. It also helped that there wasn't a screeching duck and hyucking dog in the cabin with him. 

 Sighing wearily, the Keyblade wielder got up from his seat, placing the ship on autopilot. He was extremely grateful that Cid had installed it before he had departed. He direly needed some sleep, perhaps from plain tiredness or just to forget for once that he was alone in space. 

 _'What's going on?'_

Sora smiled, laying himself down horizontally on two of the seats. He fingered his crown pendant thoughtfully before answering. 

 "We're going to Atlantica." 

 _'Again? You know I can't swim.' _

 "I know. I don't think any of you can, if I recall."

 It had been only recently when he discovered that he could communicate telepathically with his summons. It had scared the living daylights out of him when he had first found out, but gradually welcomed it as he found himself more in need of someone to talk to. The robust creatures always had a lot on their mind, and weren't afraid to voice it out to him whenever they chose. They also knew him better than he could ever imagine, due to the fact that their subconscious minds lay buried in the back of his. 

_ 'I never liked that dolphin that was there,'_ Simba continued. Sora snorted, turning over to lay on his side. 

 "You never liked anything there," the brunette reminded the proud lion. Simba was the most frequently talked to. He was the most sensible of the lot, although his headstrong personality often became a weakness at times. He also chose to avoid conversations with the other summons, as they usually ended up asking questions that he wasn't inclined to answer. Of course Mushu did pop up at the most inopportune moments, and it took all of his willpower to force the tiny dragon down. 

 _'I suppose you're right.' _The was an uncomfortable pause where Simba didn't say anything. Sora started to think that he had finally closed off their conversation, when the lion's roaring voice whispered in his head. 

 _'There's someone here.' _

Sora furrowed his brows, but didn't object. Simba was a cat, after all, and his premonitions were always right. Sliding his Ultima weapon out of its sheath, he slowly stood up and called out, "Who's there!" 

 A ruffling of clothing and a muffled curse gave him his answer before a silver haired boy climbed out from under the chair. The Dream Sword dangled around his waist, short black gloves clamping onto the weapon tightly. Sora's eyes widened when he realized he had been followed. 

 "Riku!?" 

~*~*~*~*~

 "Why does he have to come with us?" Yuffie hissed to Squall, pointing to Kir, who was twirling his daggers between his fingers. The boy seemed oblivious to Yuffie's rage at bringing him, continuing to do petty tricks with his weapons. 

 "He knows how to get around," Squall said exasperatedly, as if not liking their guide himself. "King Triton won't let Ariel out of the palace, so he's the best substitute." 

 "Sora is the best substitute!" Yuffie practically yelled. She lowered her voice when Kir shot her an inquiring glance. "He's been here before and traveled with Ariel. He probably has this whole world ingrained into his mind!"

 "Yes, I know." Squall gathered his hair and flipped it behind him. Yuffie watched the movement, mesmerized for a moment before finally remembering her anger. 

 "Than why is he coming?" 

 "Well I can't just say no to him now, can I?" 

 Yuffie groaned, banging her fist against her forehead. She prayed her brain cells were going down. 

 "Where the hell is Sephiroth?" 

 Squall actually glared at her, before softening his gaze. "He has to guard the mer-people at the palace." 

 "Oh damnit," Yuffie whined, swishing her tail around as hard as she could, sending bubbles of water everywhere. She waved around a few more times, before finally giving up the useless task. There was no point in trying to hit water. The only thing that was getting angry anyways was she. 

 "Don't worry," Squall said with a smirk, moving over to her and wrapping his arms around her. "I won't let him take you." He stared meaningfully at Kir. Kir, in turn, still hadn't looked at them. 

 "I can handle a seventeen-year-old and his hormones," Yuffie snapped in a spunky manner, raising her fists up just to prove her point. Squall let a short laugh let loose, before he quickly quieted himself. Yuffie arched her eyebrows at him attempt to look serious and kissed him sincerely on the lips. 

 "I love you," Yuffie whispered. 

 "Me too," Squall laughed.

 A/N: FINALLY! That's probably what all of you are thinking. I know, it's practically been three months. Or I think so. Anyways, I am really sorry that I haven't updated for a long time. The main thing that got me going was all those emails that you guys sent me. I wasn't ignoring them! Sorry if you thought that. As I got more and more, it made me feel guilty that people were still actually reading this. (I had been planning just to give up on the whole thing.) I know this sounds stupid, but the reason it took so long was because I was forcing myself to write a scene that I wasn't ready to do yet. Maybe you'll be able to figure out which one that was. 

 I really am sorry, but the main thing is that I'm back! This is my longest and hopefully best chapter yet, as a consolation for my laziness. I know its mostly dialogue, but this chapter is twenty pages long, so I thought it deserved at least something. Thanks for all of you who have supported me, and I'll try to get my lazy ass in gear and update sooner next time.

 Oh, and please review. The more reviews, the better the motivation! 


	17. Brotherly Love

Bring Me To Life 

Chapter Seventeen: Brotherly love

Disclaimer: KIR IS MINE!!! MWUHAHAHAHA!!!

The darkness flowed around her. It was an accustomed feeling, molded into her like a second skin. Darkness was her friend, her ally. Or at least, it used to be. Before, it would cloak her. Now, it fed off of her insides, scraping away at what was left of her deteriorating conscience. She had never imagined being the host of a Heartless-such a thought was illicit and too putrid to think of. But now, she was being wasted away as the disease greedily sucked her at her heart and shredded and dilapidated it. 

 _"With the most infected limbs removed, the pain is a lot less, even almost nonexistent."_

 Those words had given her hope, even if for a short measly time. The notion that the haunting pain had left her blossomed in her heart and placed something into her hands that she had long forgotten. Hope. It was a simple four-letter word, but it held as much meaning to her as did the word 'love' for other people. Her dreams and expectations had mounted into a towering pile in her mind months ago, when every thing was so much simpler. When all the worst she had to worry about was being caught by a Heartless and what judgmental criticism Squall would lay upon her that day. In a nutshell, she had a normal life. 

 _"Pain…almost nonexistent."_

That statement didn't last for long. The agony that she had been rid of had slowly simpered back like the plague. If the disease had a mind, it was a smart one at that. It left for a while like a distraught puppy, and swiftly crept back to her when it became hungry. Hungry, indeed. Yuffie's sweet innocence was what it devoured, and it couldn't live without it. Now it swirled around in the pit of her stomach, bringing her pain much similar to giving birth. It cornered whatever contentment she had left, and destroyed it. 

 Oh, how it burned. It burned like a wild fire, its flames beautiful and rare to look at, but deadly to touch. She hated to admit the hurting she felt, the throbbing sensation that made her want to scream for ages-and even longer. On top of that, she refused to let the saltine tears that threatened her eyes to fall. She was not feeble little teenager; she was the Greatest Female Ninja ever. She had cried enough to last several lifetimes, and she refused to let any go. Once let go-she had learned the hard way- their brethren were sure to follow. That first drop was the crack in the dam-if it fell, the dam shattered, unleashing a torrent of liquid. 

 Of course, she had considered the situation of crying in water. Surely, no one would notice if they blended right in. Albeit, denial threw that idea back at her with the force of a bullet. She _knew _they would know.  They would see her contorted face, her reddened cheeks, and her clutched stomach, and they would know. 

 _'Make it stop,'_ she thought, the plea barely able to make it though the pain. _'Make it all end.' _She had heard of people of committed suicide as a way to defeat the agony. She knew that was not an option for her. She was too much of a coward to take her own life, to think that she wouldn't go into heaven, if there was such a thing as an afterlife. She couldn't kill herself with the thought that she would be leaving so many people she loved behind. 

 _'I can't even think anymore,'_ she cried in anguish. _'I have to tell them that it's killing me.' _

_ 'Yes, my child, tell them. I can feel you pain….'_

"Squall," she howled, her arms shaking. She couldn't move her tail anymore. Every movement sent jolts flying though her. He turned around swiftly at the sound of her crippling voice. "Please stop. I can't take it anymore…it hurts so much…" 

 "Yuffie," Squall whispered with half fear, half concern. When they had left the palace, she was perfectly fine, bounding around with her usual zest. Gradually though, he noticed, she began to lag, her eyelids drooping as if pulled down by weights. She hadn't said a word though, so he came to believe that she was just getting tired of swimming around all day, barely having a full good rest for a while. Now that her shrill cry had erupted, his face became pallid and full of worry. 

 "Please, please, please," she repeated over and over, clawing at her stomach. "It burns, Squall. I want to go back now. I need the analgesic." 

 "What's going on?" Kir came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. Yuffie responded by screaming like a banshee, tearing Kir's hands away from her and writhing around in the water with spastic movements. Kir's eyes widened with hurt and shock, and he backed away, looking at Squall with hazy eyes. "What's going on?" he repeated. 

 "She's hurt," Squall growled, trying not to take out his anger on Kir. The boy was only trying to help, but right now, he didn't want him to be there. "We need to turn back now." 

 She was in obvious pain. Her pupils were dilating horribly, until her eyes became an almost complete white. He couldn't bear to see her like this. As much as it frustrated and made his emotions clash, he knew he had to knock her out. 

 "Kir, swim as fast as you can and go alert Sephiroth that Yuffie's disease is becoming worse," Squall commanded briskly as he started toward the thrashing ninja. "Tell him to have to pain killers ready by the time I get there, and eliminate as many Heartless as you can on your way." 

 "Yessir," Kir said, surprisingly without question or argue. Sending one last concerned glance at Yuffie, he sped out, bringing out two decently sized daggers into his hands for protection. Squall didn't bother watching him go, instead focusing all of his attention to Yuffie. 

 Without any hint of hesitation, he drove straight at her, catching her effectively from behind. With one hand holding onto her wrists and the other positioned at her pressure point located at the connection between her neck and shoulder muscle, he softly whispered into her ear. 

 "This is for your own good," he murmured apologetically, before swiftly striking her pressure point, making her world go pitch black. 

 Sighing in relief as he felt her go limp in his arms, he gathered her up as best he could onto his back. He knew he would need one hand for holding onto her, which only left the other for his hefty weapon. With the resistance of the water and only one hand, he knew that he attacks would be very ineffective. But as flashes of how agonized Yuffie looked blinked in his mind, he realized that he didn't give a damn. He could lose half of his limbs and get a shot a million times for all he cared as long as Yuffie got back relatively unharmed. At this point, her pain seemed foremost to his. 

 Squall winced as he stared at the vastness of the undersea valley. Locating the yellow tridents on the wall was easy; following them without being ambushed was the difficult part. Despite not caring about his own well being, he realized that he should, because if he couldn't take care of himself, then there was no way in hell that he would be able to watch over Yuffie. 

 "Shit, Sora, where the hell are you?" he cussed inappropriately, attempting to locate the gummi ship. He was positive that the Keyblade master had yet to show face. He didn't know how long she could be kept unconscious with the threats of the disease forcing her into submission. 

 Atlantica was too damn big for its own damn good, to put it the easy way. 

_ 'This is too much,'_ he muttered to himself, staring down at the ninja in his arms. _'Why did this have to happen to her, of all people? She never did anything to deserve this. I never did anything to deserve her, for that matter.'_ She was so happy and optimistic and innocent…and beautiful. He still couldn't understand how this could happen to such a wholesome being, and he hated the gods with a passion for letting it happen. 

 _'NO! Don't you understand Squall? I'm twisted! Everyone thinks I'm so childish and innocent, but I'm not!"_

"I never believed you when you said that," Squall purred softly, leaning down to kiss her lips. He remembered quite clearly what had happened after that. "To me, you'll always be innocent. That was why I wanted you so badly." He was silent for a while, speculating on what to say next. He knew he was just wasting his breath, but deep down, he felt that she was listening. 

 "You must think I'm some randy teen, huh?" Squall asked the ninja. She felt like a feather in his arms. She really was an angel that had somehow fallen down from the heavens. "I'm twenty five years old and I can barely control myself around you." He watched her for a little while longer, his eyes going wide when he noticed something. Had she just…smiled? 

 He shook his head. He must be hallucinating. Why would she want to smile at a time like this? 

 "Sora I swear to God," he threatened, holding the soft female close to him. "If you don't get here soon…." 

 As if sent by God himself, slowly, the gummi ship Highwind started to submerge nearby. It sent bubbles and froth spurring all around it, sand flying in its wake. As he watched the ship land, Squall realized that he had never felt so elated in his life to see the large floating wrecks of technology. 

 "Hurry," he groaned audibly. The Gunblade strapped to his waist was reasonably pulling him down, and he felt two hundred pounds heavier. 

 He waited with limited tolerance, silently cursing the damn Gummi ship doors for being so slow. Shockingly, arguing tones came floating out from the ship. Squall's brow furrowed, staring at them through the pellucid water. Why was Riku there?

 "Stop complaining!" Riku groaned exasperatedly, cupping his hands around his ears. He was still having trouble adjusting to the silver tail that had replaced his once two muscular legs. "You're being such a wuss!" 

 "I'm not complaining, Riku! I just want to know why you're here! I could've done this alone!" Sora snapped back with venom, glaring at the platinum haired teen. His light blue eyes had turned to a darker indigo, giving him a look of unsettled disappointment. Riku shot him a cool look, twirling the Dream Sword idly in his hands. 

 "Com'on Sora! I've never been here before. For just once I'd like to actually travel in a world and be seen as a good guy, OK! So just cool down!" 

 Riku seemed just as upset about being rudely unwanted as Sora was. Both teens had on a face of displeasure toward what could be called their counterpart. Indeed, they were almost exact opposites of each other. Riku, with straight silver hair, piercing sea green eyes, and a long silver tail, provided as a complete opposite to Sora, who had unruly brown hair, wide blue eyes, and a cornflower shark tail. Staring at the two of them was like looking at a split screen. Squall didn't even want to think what everyone would say when they found out they were best friends. 

 _'Or at least, they were.'_ Squall frowned as the two boys refused to look at each other. Riku had his arms behind his head, glaring angrily across the sea, and Sora had _his_ arms crossed grumpily over his chest, staring in the other direction. _'They remind me of Cloud and I when we were their age,'_ Squall thought somewhat critically. _'Half of the things we argued about didn't even make sense.'_

In spite of his situation, Squall couldn't help remember one particular argue that had almost completely split them apart. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 _Wind. _

_ It was a welcome to the people of Hollow Bastion. It had a special quality when it hit the immeasurable planet that made it whistle gently around every corner. It was why Hollow Bastion was held highly for its ability to make some of the best musical instruments around. _

_ Sun. _

_ It was too bright, in his opinion. Or maybe it was his personality that detested the shining orb. He had spent many days listlessly thinking about the burning ball, wondering how many other planets it shed it's light to. _

_ The wind, sun, and the flowers. It was springtime, and Hollow Bastion was full of life. Which was exactly why he had sought refuge away from the town. Seeing so many people so gay made his dizzy and brought him a cynical feeling. _

_ A fluttering sound caught his attention, and he turned to see a small black bird struggling on the ground. One of its wings was bent at a horrible angle, and it was cawing mercifully. Squall stared at it for a moment before dropping his Gunblade and kneeling down before the fraught creature. Its black eyes widened and it made a mad struggle to get away from the human looming over it, but to no avail. Squall slowly reached down and stroked the birds heaving chest, his touch flitting and surprisingly gentle. _

_ "Luxina was right," the teen murmured as his digits brushed over the obsidian coat. "I pay too much attention to the small things."_

_ "Squall!" _

_ The said boy looked up, staring at the blonde teen that was stalking toward him. He didn't look very happy-enraged for that matter. _

_ "Cloud, whats-" he was cut off as the younger teen grabbed him by the collar, roughly yanking him up to his level. Squall let himself be pulled up, putting on a monotonous face as the bird squawked in anger. Cloud glared angrily into Squall's lifeless orbs, trying fruitlessly to look past the older boys façade. _

_ "What did you do to Aerith?" Cloud demanded, blushing despite himself. Squall stared at the thirteen year old unblinkingly. It was no surprise that Cloud was all huffy over Aerith. The whole planet knew that he had feelings for her-well at least, everyone except for her. _

_ "I didn't do anything." _

_ Cloud shook his head disbelievingly. "She likes you, ya' know," he snapped, tightening his hold on Squall's shirt. Squall still had refused to blink. _

_ "I don't like her back." _

_ "Everyone likes you," Cloud continued. Squall's expression never faltered as Cloud started to rant. _

_ "Even the guys?" He asked seriously. What he got in an answer was a swift punch directed straight at his jaw. Blood trickled splurged from his mouth, but the brunette barely flinched. He wasn't going to fight back. People believed he had an irate temper, and he did. What they didn't seem to know was that he could be apathetic too. _

_ "Don't start to say shit, Squall, you were never good at it." _

_ "I don't like her Cloud," Squall said tonelessly. "I don't know what they told you, but it's not true." _

_ Cloud's expression grew softer, but quickly hardened over as if nothing had happened. "Do you know what they said about you and Aerith?" _

_ "Obviously not," he growled. Cloud was smart, and they both knew that. What he didn't understand was why Cloud always gave into the rumors of Hollow Bastion's famous "click". _

_ "They said that you forced Aerith to give you her virginity." _

~*~*~*~*~

 "What's wrong with Yuffie?" Sora's adolescent voice rang out, strung with concern. Squall blinked a few times, trying to get the memory out of his head. The bird with the broken wing, crying out for help…

 It was Yuffie. 

 "The disease. I don't think she has much time," Squall whispered, his vision growing blurry as he said those words. Thinking of his life without Yuffie burned worse than anything he had ever felt before. 

 "Yuffie," Sora said softly, his eyes looking nervous and hesitant. He swam up to her, unsure of his movements as he ran his hand along his face. His eyes held something unreadable, and Squall realized for the first time that Sora's feeling for Yuffie went deeper than just friends. He watched, not sure of what to do, as Sora bent down and kissed Yuffie's forehead. 

 Riku held his tongue, knowing how upset he would make both of them if he let his mouth go off again. 

 "We gotta get outta here," Riku decided to say instead, swallowing down his insults. He glanced intentionally at the moving, sinister creatures that were slowly making themselves known. 

 Sora turned and stared at him for a long time, deciding whether or not his friend was trying to imply calling a truce. He was fitting with scorn and serenity, but finally let serenity win over. 

 "I agree." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Shapes danced around her, their voices distorted and indistinct. Were they singing? She listened closer, her eyes scrunching in dismay as she comprehended what they were saying. No, not singing. They were tormenting her. 

 _"Poor wittle Yuffie…" _

_ "She can't even take care of herself!" _

_ "Not only that, she's in love with a man that could practically be her father in a few years!" _

_ "How pathetic…" _

_ "Whazza matta? Don't know how'ta stand on your own two feet?" _

_ "It doesn't matter, she's going to die anyways." _

_ "Yeah, you're right. She'll never find the cure."  _

_ "If there was one!" _

 They all cackled at the last sentence, sharing in their own cruel jokes. Yuffie shook her head in anger and rage, trying to fathom what was real and what was not. They had to be lying…they just _had _to…

 _"There's no cure…" _

_ "You'll die…" _

 "Die…" 

She watched as them formed one huge blob, all chanting "die". Claws extended from the amorphous figure, eager it wrap its talons around the shaken ninja. She wanted it to end. A part of her told her it wasn't real; another part convinced her it was. There had always been a small shred of doubt sizzling beneath all of her determination to live, and now that doubt grew into a hideous lie that she had concealed over that period of time. It was like blood on a white shag carpet. It was irremovable, forever staining her mind. 

 "Get away," she whimpered, feeling at loss of what to do. She had no weapons, no way to defend herself. Somewhere, she hated herself for being so dependant and weak. She hated having to depend on everyone for everything…

 "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shrieked like a banshee, brutally swinging her arms through the nebulous creature. Expecting to feel cold sliminess, she instead hit solid flesh, feeling the skin recoil and bounce away from the impact. 

 Her eyes darted open and she shot her body upward, sweat careening down her face. She had her fists up dangerously in the air, supposedly fighting off the mocking shape. Looking straight forward, she realized the only one she had been hurting was Kir. 

 "You don't hit like a girl," he gasped, looking in serious pain. He had a large pink bruise on his stomach where Yuffie had continuously pounded him. He would've stopped her vicious blows, but she was so damn fast…

 "Of course not," a soft voice said with cockiness. Yuffie tilted her head slightly to see Squall next to her, watching the teen with amusement. To her relief, she saw Riku, Sora and Sephiroth also present, along with King Triton and Ariel, who were hovering around slightly in the back. "I taught her, after all." 

 "No you didn't!" Yuffie said evasively, glaring at him with traces of playfulness. "My father taught me how to hit, and there's no one better!" 

 Squall wagged his finger at her though, shaking his head at her short memory. "No," he said with a smirk. "I taught you. You're father taught you how to fight with a weapon. I taught you how to fight with your fists."  

 "Well I can't remember," Yuffie snapped, not wanting to directing give in to him, but instead choosing another evasive move. 

 "I noticed," he murmured softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. He went no further than that though, since he wasn't much for public affection, especially in front of all of their friends. 

 Yuffie smiled happily at him, giving to same gesture to everyone else situated around her. Her eyes lingered a little longer on Sora and Riku, keenly noticing how they had their backs slightly turned from one another and how their auras felt angered. 

 "What happened?" she questioned, staring at Sora for some unknown purpose. He jumped at her gaze, and stared back for a long time, as if wondering what she was asking about. After all, there were several things she could be referring to. 

 "We brought you back to the palace and gave you some pills," Sora decided to answer after some deep contemplation. "They're special capsules, so they don't dissolve in water." 

 "But how-" 

 "I knocked you out," Squall murmured somewhat sheepishly, gently stroking her cheek. Yuffie just grinned like a four year old and nodded her head. 

 "S'ok," she brushed it off, taking his hand and hugging it childishly to her chest. "I probably would've done it myself eventually." 

 "And how would you manage that?" Sora asked curiously. Yuffie smirked proudly. 

 "Ever banged your head against a rock?" 

 "Never mind I don't want to know," Sora quickly replied with a face, scratching the back of his head. Yuffie had some pretty retarded theories that she had unfortunately filled him in on, and he felt if he heard any more, he'd barf. 

 "Oh come on! I know you love my stories!" 

 "Not really," Sora sighed, remembering some pretty grotesque ones. He swore she had a God given talent freak people out. 

 "What stories?" 

 Sora wanted to slap Kir. No, scratch that. Kill him was more like it. He knew Kir was only saying that to flirt with Yuffie, but he _would _regret it eventually. It only took a few minutes of Yuffie's antics to send a person running for the hills. 

 "See! Kir's interested in them!" 

 "Statistically, some one had to be," Sephiroth chose this time to point out. Yuffie gave him a good blow to his shoulder before filing through her memory for a good story that would surely amuse him. 

 "Ok," she said, smacking her hands together like a car sales man that had just lured some unwary customers to buy. "There once was this guy…" 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Kairi sighed heavily, fiddling with her crimson locks. She sank deeper into the hotel's bed, as her thoughts went further and further into loneliness. This room, this bed, was far too big for just her. Before, with Sora, and occasionally Riku, occupying it with her, it had felt cozy and the right fit. Now it felt drafty and looming, and she was sharing it with no one but herself. 

 How she missed Sora. Not just as the one she loved, but as a friend too. Aerith and Cloud and Goofy and the others were not bad company at all, but she still felt uncomfortable around them. They didn't even come close to filling in the emptiness in her heart that Sora and Riku were able to fill to the brim with just one teasing smile. 

 "I hurt Riku," she said out loud, her voice reverberating off of the decorated walls. Her door to the small veranda was open, causing a small breeze to stir her clothes and bed spreads. The cold December air chilled her skin and made it pallid on contact. The pain she felt though was mostly because of the emotional chill she was receiving. 

 She knew she had hurt Riku. It had hurt her just as much to have to choose one of her friends over the other. Sometimes, she hated them for doing that to her. She wished that they had not both had feelings for her. It would've been so easy, so simple if it had been just one of them. Or even better, neither. But no, they both had to pursue her, almost risking both of their lives in doing so. She was extremely grateful for their deeds, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel angry that they made her feel that way. 

 There weren't enough girls on Destiny Islands, in her opinion. 

 "Damn," she cursed, balling her tiny hand into a fist and slamming it into the mattress. Sadly, she had developed a habit for cursing. She supposed it was the influence of Cid and that talking duck, although she noticed that Sora was starting to do so too. 

 Just for good measure, she let out another string of curses, vociferating her anger. 

 _'Life sucks.'_

~*~*~*~*~

 Aerith folded her hands serenely in front of her, her head bowed in concentration. The world seemed to fall around her, and all she could think of was Yuffie, and how much pain she had to endure. She was like a light for her that evening, and Aerith let the young ninja be the center of her prayers. 

 Cloud watched the girl from the bed, staring at her impassive face. She was kneeling at the side of the bed, hands interlinked and arms leaning on the sheets. She was praying, just as she always did before she slept. It had become a habit for both of them-she prayed, he watched silently. He had learned early on that any slight movement would cause her interruption, one that she did not appreciate at all. So here he sat, as still as a stone. 

 _'What the hell does that woman have to pray about everyday?'_ he thought wonderingly. Even he couldn't think of something to ask for every single day without it being the same. Safety for his friends, peace for the worlds, beating Squall in a sword fight…what else was there to ask for? 

 "It's not just about asking," Aerith murmured out loud. Cloud jumped a mile, staring into her emerald eyes that were only partially opened. "It's about thanking too." 

 "Were you reading my mind?" Cloud asked, covering his face slightly. If she had the ability to do that, than he would rather regret some of the things he usually thought about…

 "No," Aerith whispered brightly. "I can just tell that that's what you were thinking. You're very transparent." 

 "Oh thanks." Sarcastically said. 

 Aerith softly padded the spot beside her. "Pray with me?" she asked. 

 "I don't know what to pray for," Cloud admitted, crawling over to her. 

 "May I suggest something then?" Aerith offered. Cloud tilted his head, inclined to hear what she had to say. He nodded, climbing off of the bed and kneeling next to her. He waited expectantly. 

 "Yuffie." 

 Blue eyes softened, staring at the small woven fabric of the blanket. Folding his hands on front of his face, he slowly closed his eyes. 

 "Ok." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 "I can't believe this," Yuffie almost cried, burying her head in her hands. "I can't believe this. Why did they have to do this to me? WHY?" 

 Riku rolled his eyes, laying down next to her and jabbing her side. She cried out and yanked on his silver hair in retaliation. He whacked her back in response to that. 

 "Will you stop it?" Kir snapped, flinging his dagger in a bored fashion into the air. He gray eyes looked annoyed with them. "If you keep doing that, you'll end beating each other up." 

 "Oh what a tragedy that'll be," Riku snapped, grabbing Yuffie's straps to her top and snapping them. The ninja seemed about ready to kill the platinum haired boy. 

 "I hate this. This is all you fault!" Yuffie accused both of them. 

 "It is not our fault that you scared everyone else away with you story," Kir muttered, although he was smiling at her. 

 "Ok, for one thing, you were the one that asked me in the first place. And secondly, WHY DID THEY HAVE TO LEAVE ME WITH YOU TWO, OF ALL PEOPLE!" 

 "Sora didn't want me to come," Riku offered. 

 "And-" 

 "You just want to be with me so you can molest me," Yuffie snapped at Kir, filling in for him. Kir's eyes filled with mirth, and he laughed softly, leaving Yuffie to wonder how the hell he could just laugh something off like that. 

 "I need to protect the people of this palace, and they don't need me anymore now that Sora's here," Kir said anyways. 

 "Geez…so now I'm stuck at the palace with you two while Sephiroth, Sora, and Squall get to have all the fun," Yuffie bleated, coming to the horrible conclusion. It wasn't like she wanted to be stuck with the two of them. It had just sort of happened. 

 A few more minutes passed without any of them saying anything. Yuffie watched people swim past them, seeing their faces caught between curiosity and fear. Sadly, curiosity was winning out. 

 "Too many people want out of here," Riku commented, watching as several young boys leaned over one another to try and get a glimpse at the tiny Heartless swimming in the distance. 

 "I couldn't blame them," Yuffie confessed truthfully, wringing her hands in her lap. She desperately wanted to do something, to be of help. But she knew that she wasn't allowed to be too active, lest the pain overtake her again. 

 "I don't think any of us really want to be cooped up here," Kir spoke for everyone. It was true. Everyone looked too antsy to be kept in one small confined place, not knowing when they'll be attacked. 

 Again, silence reigned supreme. Naturally, Yuffie was the one to break it. 

 "I'm bored." 

 "Big surprise there," Riku snorted, staring straight ahead. Both of them were sitting casually on the ground, and Kir was upright, glancing every once and a while from side to side. Yuffie watched with slight aggravation as he waved to some mermaid's who had been giggling at him for the past hour or so. 

 "I like the atmosphere here," Riku started to utter, finding that Yuffie was the only available being to talk to, since Kir was "busy". "It reminds me of Destiny Islands." 

 "I like it here too," Yuffie said, surprising herself. She really never talked to Riku, since they had always been busy pissing each other off. "It's so carefree. You can do anything here. They have a whole world to explore, and they can practically go anywhere." 

 "What was you home like?" Riku asked before he could stop himself. Really, he had to learn to control his tongue. 

 "Hollow Bastion? Oh…it was spacey. A little too big, I guess. But it was so crowded, that you could barely notice. It had an overpopulated feeling to it, but it made you feel "in" at the same time. The scenery there was beautiful too." 

 "I know, I saw," Riku sighed, leaning back so that he was staring at her slim back. He watched as her shoulders bunched as she realized what he meant. 

 "I'm sorry-" 

 "Don't be," Riku interrupted her. "It was my own choice to do it. It was a stupid choice, yes, but it was of my own will. I shouldn't have been so desperate to see the other worlds. I was so desperate," he paused, his eyes growing remote, "that I was willing to put my friends in harms way. Nothing should've been worth that." 

 "You really care about your friends, don't you," Yuffie commented softly. She yelped when she felt a hand run gently down her spine, finally pushing at the bottom of it. "OW DAMMIT THAT HURTS!" 

 "It wasn't supposed to feel good," Riku said wryly, bringing his hands to her sides and tickling her. Yuffie bit her lip to hold back her laughter but finally gave in, screaming from the touch. She wanted to punch him for making her feel so…happy. 

 Riku snorted as she yelled. She was the most ticklish person he'd ever met. And that was saying a lot, since Sora would get tickled by almost anything, although he hated to admit that. 

 A soft glow filled him, something he hadn't felt since he had first befriended Sora and Kairi. It had been so hard to let go of them, but now he felt as if he had made another friend. Someone who would connect with him without the boundaries of having someone else, since Yuffie had Squall, and she was still acting normally. 

 "Hey, calm it down," Kir said, whacking Riku on the arm. Riku stopped assaulting Yuffie, who was panting and gripping her sides for protection. 

 "No more," she warned, glaring at him and moving away. "Touch me again and I'll shrivel you manhood." 

 "How do you know it's not already like that?" Riku teased. Yuffie's eyes widened. 

 "OH! That's gross!" 

 "It's probably true," Kir smirked. Riku's eyes darkened. 

 "Screw you." 

 "Gladly," Kir said brightly, winking at Yuffie. Yuffie slapped her head in response. She wanted to die. It was like babysitting. 

 "I should be getting paid for this," she said silently to herself. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Squall barely dodged the atrocious Heartless as it slammed past him, mouth wide and eyes gleaming. It then had to turn its hefty body around to charge again, something that was becoming extremely tiresome to both parties. 

 Of all of the Heartless there were, the shark had to be the one to fight him. He really didn't know what it was, but right as they had come out into the open, it had charged at his like he was a piece of meat. It was one of the largest Heartless he had seen without it being a Boss. With its blood-red fangs and gigantic body, he had to say that it was very close to being on his list of things he'd never want to see again. 

 He glanced briefly to see now the other two were fairing. Sora was battling a bunch of Screwdivers and Sephiroth was fending off those huge jellyfish. Neither of them seemed to be having too much trouble…

 _Fwoop._

 The shark's tail came whistling past his head, missing his by less than an inch. The creature seemed to have gotten a burst of energy, because it was charging at him like a bull that had seen red. Ironically, the two weren't much different. 

 Bringing his Gunblade up with one swift movement, he swiftly made a slice right through the shark's midsection, causing the heartless to scream out in pain. It roared furiously as black inky blood fell from its side. It's eyes filled with red and it charged at him once more. 

 _'What's going on?'_ he thought with confusion. Normally, once Heartless were hit, they disappeared. This one though, just kept plowing on ahead. _'Unless…'_

It was a Boss. 

 Sora was at his side at an instant, hurling his Keyblade at it with a swift cry of "Strike!" 

 The blade pierced it straight in its head, directly between its eyes. It roared in agony, more blood oozing out of it, but it didn't still. Sora's eyes widened only a fraction, before getting ready to charge up close to it. It was proved unnecessary though, as Sephiroth came out of nowhere and efficiently cut off the Heartless' head with one clean slice of his Masamune. 

 Sora grimaced. "I think you overdid it." 

 "It was going to kill us," Sephiroth shrugged, sheathing the stealthy blade. His gloves were coated with black blood, as was the hilt of his sword. The Heartless' neck was a lot thicker than any or them had estimated. 

 "Ok, so what are we looking for," Sora managed to ask, tearing his eyes away from the slowly dissipating creature. He had become accustomed to seeing things die, sadly. He had never liked blood, and it disgusted him that he was so used to seeing it that he didn't even flinch. 

 "Anything that has an aura of healing properties," Sephiroth said shortly. Sora gave him a confused look, glancing around as if expecting to see it at any moment. "You should mostly notice it as a plant, and the area around it would have an absence of any existing organisms. The ground would be blackened around it due to its magical properties," Sephiroth continued. 

 "Umm…ok," Sora blurted out, not really sure of what to make of it. It didn't sound like it would be too hard to find…

 But then again, Sephiroth had always been one to stretch the truth. 

 "Blackened ground, blackened ground…." It was the only description he trusted. He didn't believe a word of the 'aura' crap, and he sucked at sensing things anyways. He also wasn't too keen at looking for dead organisms. Hell, most of the time he could barely tell what was alive and what not. 

 He swam fluidly around a dilapidated coral rock, his hand lingering across the scraggly surface as he scanned the area. Was there even such a thing as blackened ground in the ocean? There wasn't even any _ground_ here. It was just a bunch of sand. Stupid sand. 

 "How the hell did you guys manage to search through all of the planets in this short amount of time?" Sora asked with exasperation as Squall swam up next to him. The older man shook his head, feeling Sora's frustration practically emanating off of his lanky body. 

 "We really didn't know what we were looking for until Sephiroth joined us. We just asked the natives on each planet if they had any cures for Heartless-derived diseases and all said 'no'."

 "What if they were wrong?" 

 "I doubt it." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie sat with a rumpled expression, her eyes dark and feeling haggardly. Her stomach was starting to work against her once more, and she had the nauseating feeling of having to throw up. Of course that came with many speculations, mainly asking _how_ she could puke in Atlantica, and everyone else for that matter. It wasn't like she could just take a pail and let it out. She was _in_ water, for Christ's sakes. From what she knew, if you threw up in water, it would most likely float up. 

 "Gross," she muttered, feeling appalled. She would literally _kill_ herself if she knew that they were swimming in the remains of her twisting stomach. 

 She glanced around, forcing back any thoughts of emptying her stomach. Riku was snoring fitfully next to her, his chest heaving. Yuffie grimaced as if just noticing the noise for the first time. His nose had the similar sound to a saw blade. 

 "Wake up," she asked once, and no more. She was lonely again. And she missed Squall with a longing, a longing that wouldn't stop until he came back. Kir had left about an hour ago, promising that he would bring her something that would make her feel better. Frankly, she was dreading whatever it was. With boys like him, the most he could come up with is something crude, like a thong or something else related to her body. 

 Sighing, she laid back down, trying to alleviate the pain churning in her stomach. It wasn't the same pain as she had before. This was a dull ache that reminded her of the stomach flu's she got back when she was a kid. A small smile twisted her lips at the memory. 

 _"Mommy?" _

_ Small hands pulled at the Mrs. Kisaragi's maroon sweater, barely succeeding in yanking her back. Yuffie's mother complied without a word, sitting down next to the sickened girl. She gave her little daughter a hug, feeling her thin frame. She had drastically lost weight since everything she ate had been thrown up. _

_ "What is it?" _

_ Yuffie coughed for a moment, and her mother patted her back until the hacking resided. "I wanna see my fwends." _

_ "You can't, hon. If  you do, you might get them sick too. You don't want that, do you? And besides, you have to wait until you get better." Yuffie's mom said this cautiously, knowing how the small girl's temper would flare if she said the wrong thing. Yuffie didn't say anything in response, and her mother just sat there next to her bed, stroking her burning forehead. _

_ "Get some rest, OK?" _

_ Yuffie's eyebrows down turned. "I can't," she whispered sadly. "I'm too hot. The..the feber….feeder.."_

_ "Fever, sweetie. Just try," she stroked her forehead once more, feeling the searing heat in the ninja's head. They had tried several antibiotics, and the doctor had finally said that they had to wait until it passed. _

_ Kissing her head, Mrs. Kisaragi got up, lingering at the door for a moment before walking out. Yuffie watched her go, feeling a sadness ebbing in her mind. She hated being sick.  While everyone else had fun, she was stuck in bed, with nothing to do but watch the warm sunlight stream through her window. She didn't understand. All of her friends had gotten sick when it was cold-she got sick when it was warm. Were they laughing at her now? _

_ Hot tears gently fell down her cheeks, and she attempted to wipe them away with a balled fist. "I don' wanna be sick…" More racked sobs. _

_ "Stop crying." _

_ Yuffie jumped, but at the command, it only made more saltine liquid cascade down her face. She looked up to see Squall, surprised to see him sporting a black eye. Her mother was peeking in from the doorway. _

_ "N-nooOOoOo.." she wailed, angry at him for thinking that he could tell her what to do, and angry at herself for answering back. _

_ He walked over to the bed, and she noticed that he was holding a shoebox in his hands. Yuffie's misery receded for a minute, and she become overcome with curiosity._

_ "Whazz dat?" she sniffled, her nose now clogged. She coughed again, covering her mouth with a tissue. _

_ "A bird," he whispered softly, walking up to her and sitting on her bed. Her mother had once again left her, but this time, she wasn't alone. _

_ "What kinda bird?" _

_ "A black bird. Its wing is broken." As he said this, the teen placed the box on her bed, and Yuffie eagerly pulled herself up, staring down into it. Sure enough, a bird lay in the box, its wings bandaged with a white- looking gauze. It was apparently sleeping. _

_ "Can I touch it?" She asked, shifting a little. Squall stared at the young girl for a long time, before finally whispering a small "yes". _

_ Her small shaky hand came down, and her fingers gently stroked its head, moving down to its chest. After a few minutes of petting it, she looked up, feeling transfixed by Squall's bruised eye. _

_ "What happ'end to your eye?" _

_ "I got punched by Cloud." _

"He never told me why," Yuffie muttered, rolling over and staring at the ground. She sighed softly, remembering the small bird that Squall had saved. She knew that he really was a big softie, even though he hated to admit that. 

 That bird…it was so helpless, and small, and…purple? 

 Yuffie yelped as the huge purple figure neighed loudly at her, startling her to attention. Large red eyes stared at her, the orbs wide and unblinking. 

 "WHAT IS THAT!" 

 Kir smiled, patting the creature's side. "It's my horse." He made his 'horse' turn around so that Yuffie can see the long purple tail curled elegantly at its rear. Of course, it was a sea horse. 

 "You scared the crap outta me," Yuffie snapped, giving him the finger. She was never really fond of large creatures, and this one was one of them. She never trusted anything that weighed about a hundred pounds more than her. Although it was reigned, she couldn't place all of her confidence in Kir's abilities to hold it back if it decided to go psycho. 

 Kir pointed to the slumbering Riku, then at the sea horses long snout. Yuffie realized what he was going to do and shook her head violently. 

 "Oh no you don't," Yuffie warned, putting her hand up as if to stop him. Her other hand was crawling over to the form next to her, ready to shake him awake. 

 "Come on," Kir persisted, patting the horse's nose. "It won't hurt him." 

 "It'll get him pissed and covered in horse snot," Yuffie snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "So if you even think about moving, I'll dice you to mince meat." 

 "Ok," Kir shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy." He then let go of the reigns, causing Yuffie's hair to stand on the back of her neck. Kir glanced at her and noticed her suddenly rigid stature. 

 "He won't hurt you," Kir commented, giving the seahorse a friendly push. He neighed in response, as if trying to influence the ninja that he was harmless. Yuffie was refused to give into his stupid persuasions and shook Riku awake. 

 "What…" he groaned, slapping at her hand. Yuffie pulled it back, rubbing the place where he had hit her. For being half asleep, Riku hit _hard_. 

 "Wake up, stupid shit," she poked his bare side, making him grunt and turn his back to her. _Poke. Jab_. He slept like a log when he wanted to. 

 "Don't call me that," he grated out to her. Yuffie would've retorted, if it not for the large scar running across his back that caught her eye. _'Where the hell did he get that from?' _It was a long, angry pink line, screaming of something that Riku was probably trying hard to forget. It reminded her a lot of Squall's scar, although this looked worse. 

 "I'm surprised you didn't say anything," Riku snorted, turning over to glare at her. She quickly flushed, trying to forget the line that was torn across his back, and fought to think of an explanation. 

 "Is that what I'm really like?" she asked instead, looking down slightly. Riku gave her a confused look. She could see his eyes watching the purple figure in front of him, but he said nothing. 

 "What?" 

 "I have a big mouth," she confessed, twiddling with her fingers. "I say too much." 

 "That wasn't what I meant." 

 "Then what?" 

 Silence. Yuffie sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought." 

 A/N: Sorry, I didn't put romance in this chapter. That was a kinda morbid ending, but whatever. This was supposed to be posted about five days ago, but I got the stomach flu. 

 Another thing is with Riku. I know, it really sounded like Yuffie and Riku were flirting. That wasn't what I was aiming for, trust me. I wanted to have them portrayed as more of a sister-brother relationship than anything else. The same with Sora. I promise that next chapter will have more romance. 


	18. Three days

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, etc., except for Luxina, Kir, and any original Heartless. 

Chapter Eighteen: Three days

Yuffie swam around with a less than patient gait, coffee-colored eyes glancing at the mer-people in the palace. She had to withhold several times not to scrutinize any of them, something she had found herself doing when she became bored. On her part, she fully blamed them for being so damn fascinating. If they had been all black and gray and looking like they were all related, that would've suited her just fine. 

 Zed, the large purple sea horse of Kir's, was twitching slightly as she moved. She glared at it suspiciously, daring it to move. She still couldn't trust the large thing, and she doubted that she ever would. She had already filled her mind with unpleasant pictures of him mauling her over the last past hour, and it had gotten her hair standing on end. It wasn't a comforting thought that it could probably run off with half of her leg if it wanted to. She had never heard of a violent sea horse before, but hell, she'd never heard of one as big as a gummi ship either.

 _'This is driving me insane,'_ she thought. _'If I can't get out of here soon, I'm going to lose it.'_ Even the energetic Kir had lost him steam, barely even having the capacity to fiddle with his daggers anymore. Riku had awoken from his slumber, but God only knew what he was doing. She was too lazy and agitated to look for him. 

 "How can you do that?" she quietly asked a bunch of kids who were darting around and chasing each other. They couldn't hear of course, and probably wouldn't have answered if they had. She turned her head away from them. If she stared any longer, she would be tempted to join them. 

 "When do you think they'll be back?" Ariel came up behind her, stopping Yuffie's movements. Yuffie shrugged, watching the girl-who was about her age-out of the corner of her eye. Her hair reminded the ninja of Aerith's-long and full of volume, although there was quite a contrast in color. 

 "What does it feel like?" Ariel asked, a look of curiosity on her face. "I mean-" 

 "What does it feel like to know that you're on the brink of dying?" Yuffie supplied for her, narrowing her eyes. She was tired of people asking her that, as if it was something special. Didn't they know how much it hurt everything they asked her that? "Well it's frustrating, infuriating, and it makes you feel like shit. Is that what you wanted?" 

 "You're so different from the other girls here," Ariel commented, not even looking phased by the ninja's words. "I know you'll find the cure. They won't let you die." 

 "They?" 

 "The gods we worship. Leviathan and Poseidon will protect you." Yuffie seriously contemplated her words for a moment. From what she had heard were that Leviathan and Poseidon were enemies, not-

 Who cared? She certainly didn't.

 "Thanks."  

 Ariel nodded, swimming back to her father. Yuffie watched her go, feeling an odd sensation of contentment. That feeling didn't last long as a pang shot though her stomach. She grunted with mild pain, reaching into a small pouch at her side and pulling out two small yellow-brown capsules. Taking a deep breath, she popped them into her mouth and gulped them down, grimacing as they slid down her throat. Whoever said that swallow-able capsules had no taste obviously hadn't taken them before. Or at least, these ones did. 

 A few people were staring at her, and she quickly returned the bottle. The last thing she needed was a bunch of them thinking she was a drug addict. 

 Teetering like a drunk, she went up to Kir, trying to keep herself awake. Sephiroth had conveniently forgotten to tell her that the pills had a side effect of drowsiness, and she was frequently feeling faint. Kir placed on a half-hearted smile as she neared him. At least he tried to keep his spirits up around her. 

 "Did you take some more medicine?" 

 She nodded dumbly, staring at him as if waiting for him to do something. When he diverted his gaze, she realized that he wasn't going to say any more and she took this as an invitation. Sitting down next to him, she let her shoulders slump, her eyelids drooping. 

 "Tired?" 

 "Very." 

 He didn't say much after that, but she wasn't inclined to conversation either. As of late, she had begun to take silence as a comfort. 

 _'I have to leave this place now,'_ she ground in her mind, the thought pressing out any other feelings until she felt as if it would cause her mind to collapse. She felt like a complete loon, with the palace as her own personal asylum. She was about ready to break out. 

 "Something's coming." Brusquely said. Kir stared languidly at the gates of the court. 

 "Is it-" 

 "No. It's one of those creatures." Her face grew pallid and tendrils of lethargy gripped at her. Why did awful things happen at the most inopportune times?

 Temper flaring atrociously, Yuffie wobbled drunkenly to an upright position. She teetered slightly; the acrid smell that the Heartless carried hitting her with poignancy. The water itself seemed to chill with the bringing of them, the new coldness causing the ninja to lose any thought of ever being robust. 

 "What're you doing?" Kir asked. Yuffie hated how he said that-as if she was a madwoman. Did she look that incapable that people assumed insanity when she stood her ground? 

 "I'll take care of them," Yuffie snapped, wishing for all the world that she was sure of those words. It didn't seem possible that she could beat them by herself-she had barely been able to beat the lowest leveled ones. 

 She couldn't fully believe that she could do it, and Kir thought so too. She could see it in his eyes. He doubted her, and it caused her self-esteem to wobble on the edge of complete fear. 

 She tore her gaze from his, feeling his gaze burning into her turned head. Rashness itched at her spine, curdling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't fought in a good week or so. _'Or maybe I had, but it was too measly to be worth remembering.'_ She also was very aware that shuriken were completely useless in the water, or near so. The water stopped the motion completely, leaving only hand-wielding, close combat weapons, and she was the only one without them. 

 _'You're the brightest crayon in the box, aren't you Kisaragi?'_ she demanded of herself. _'Stop talking to yourself. I need a weapon that I have the strength to carry out an attack in the water with.' _At once her eyes darted to Kir and his daggers. 

 "Oh no," he warned, hands enclosing around the two carved knives. "No one touches _my_ babies." 

 "I _need_ them Kir."

 "No you don't." Yuffie sighed. She knew this tactic. Prevaricating wasn't going to save him in the least. 

 "You _know_ I do. My shuriken are totally retarded here, and you know that. _Give me your daggers."_

 She advanced on him like a lioness on her prey. He looked about ready to bolt. The look of slight fear in his eyes-it made her smirk with delight. Who knew the consummate ladies man was a total wuss when it came to giving up his treasured weapons? 

 "Ask Riku," Kir attempted to persuade. Yuffie shook her head as if it was the most obvious thing. 

 "I can't wield that sword. I think it's too big." 

 "_Think?_ You're scaring the crap out of me just because you're too lazy to find out if you can carry it?" 

 Yuffie shot her hand out faster than he could register, the adrenaline of the upcoming battle rushing through her veins. Squall had warned her that getting too excited like this would speed up the spread of the disease, but somehow that reason was lost on her. 

 It hit her like cold water that she had long ago abandoned any thought of being well again. She had told herself that, but she didn't really picture it. It had already solidly formed in her mind that she was going to die. 

 "Kir," she growled, crawling at his arm. Without her gloves to cover them, her uncut nails bit into his skin like razors. 

 "Yeesh! Ow-fuck! Yuffie you can't do this. You're sick, and what will you do when you suddenly have a coughing fit or something? They'll eat you alive at the first sign of weakness! Stop acting like a brash idiot!" 

 "My whole life I've been a brash idiot." She used her claw-like hand to pull him to her. He let out a cry like a fly being caught in a spider's web.

 "Yuffie," he gasped. "You're really cute and all, but damn, CUT YOUR FUCKING NAILS!" 

 "I promise I will if you give me your daggers," Yuffie said evenly. 

 "No," he deadpanned. "You're a cat," he muttered under his breath, in regards to her clawing. He doubted that she heard it though. She had this driven look that could only mean that she wasn't going to stop until she had those weapons in her hands. 

 "Please," Yuffie calmed her voice, bringing it slightly higher and making a small face. Kir groaned, trying to look away. He really sucked when it came to turning down a girl with puppy eyes. 

 It took her about two minutes, but finally he released his grip on his daggers. Yuffie caught them instantly, hugging them to her chest victoriously. 

 "If I didn't have a boyfriend, I'd kiss you." 

 "Really?" 

 "No." 

 Kir narrowed his eyes at the conniving ninja. She was testing the daggers experimentally. She then sighed. 

 "We wasted a lot of time doing that." Yuffie glanced away guiltily as she spotted the crescent shaped marks on his arm. 

 "Yeah-Yuffie they're here." 

 She looked up eagerly, a raw feeling that was unfamiliar to her. She was going to fight-alone. It caused her insides to gush with pleasure.  It sounded stupid that she had never once fought alone, save for the one time in the Hades Cup. But even then it had only been against Sora, and he had eliminated her without her barely even realizing what had been happening. 

 "Squall'll kill me," she heaved a sigh, smiling grimly. The guards standing by the gate let her pass without a word, having seen her exchange with Kir. The last thing they wanted to do was get in the way of a rampant female. 

 As she swam out into open waters, (completely ignoring the fraught yells of Kir and Riku) the daggers began to become heavy in her hands. Alas, her hands became sweaty, and her grip started to fumble. (Although it eluded her how she could sweat in the water.) They were still traces of the pills in her body, and she was fighting an uphill battle to stay awake. 

 A spear came flying at her through the water, shot with such force that it propelled itself swiftly through, narrowly missing her and embedding itself into the coral wall. She readied her weapons like the fists of a boxer, spotting the Heartless that had shot at her. She dodged another javelin, frowning as she spotted the wayward Screwdriver that had thrown it. It was bobbing around in the water, three of its comrades behind it, carrying the usual Aquatank. 

 For a moment she stayed inert, staring dumbly at the Heartless. Really, she wasn't used to having to get so close to fight them. But her homing shuriken-hell, _all_ of her shuriken-were useless. 

 A Sheltering Zone walloped into her, shocking her with it's electric film covering. She growled at the large jellyfish and slashed at it with one of the daggers. It bounced around for a few seconds, and then smashed into her again. Feeling that it would be unwise to exchange blows with the large jelly, she took both daggers, and started to stab it continuously. She instantly regretted this as it started to convulse horribly, breaking into four, reasonably smaller jelly fish. 

 Meanwhile, the Screwdrivers weren't very tolerant, and started to dart around her, missing her by ridiculous calculations. She thought that with all the knowledge Ansem had pent up in his head, he would've at least created creatures with some tactical sense. 

 She looked intently at the Heartless, than at the bubbly water surrounding her. She was too tired to do a full-scale battle with them. She knew it was risky but…

 Knowing it was inevitable, she concentrated all of her energy into the tips of her fingers, feeling a slight jolting sensation. Her palm glowed as she drained herself of any magical support. 

 _'I'm going to fry myself,'_ she thought cynically. She stretched her arms out, using the daggers to channel the energy. She twisted her face in resolve, knowing it was the only way to win with her crippled body. 

 "THUNDAGA!" 

 Columns of light exploded everywhere, catching onto the water and shocking everyone. A huge chunk of city wall was blown from its post, flying by her and missing by inches. She herself barely noticed it though, as she was having her battle of keeping conscious. 

 The bright flare of the thunder had stunned her, and the pain of being electrocuted kept her down. She watched with barely opened eyes as the Heartless exploded with flashes of black, disappearing and leaving munny and small treasure chests in their place. The daggers plastic, wood, and metal of the hilts had stopped only half the blow, but the attack had still been directed away from her. She had only received the tendrils of electricity that had managed to catch onto the water and spread like a wild fire. 

 "Ugh," she groaned, dropping the daggers and collapsing in a heap on the bottom of the ocean. Exact to what she had been thinking, her limbs did feel quite fried. She examined her hands, which looked slightly burnt from unleashing such a high level spell. Honestly, she had barely been able to handle a simple thunder spell in Traverse Town. 

 "How do you do it Sora?" she asked, stroking her hand. If he wasn't burnt and mangled by all he had gone through, then they gave him a lot less credit than he deserved. 

 "By knowing when to stay put," Sora's voice said behind her wearily. He sounded exasperated with her, despite the two-year age difference. She couldn't blame him though. Hell, even she would be exasperated with herself. 

 "They were coming too close to the palace," Yuffie said stubbornly, avoiding Sora's burning gaze. _'I guess he has a right to be angry. It is kinda his job to make sure no one gets hurt from the Heartless.'_

 "I believe we told _Kir_ to stop them if they came, not _you._" Was Sephiroth exasperated with her too? She was still contemplating if he had a right to be so when Squall came up to her and wrapped his arms around her. That was just it-he hugged her. She knew something was wrong when he didn't let go for well over five minutes. 

 "What's going on?" she asked cautiously, gripping at Squall's bare back, staring at the general and the Keyblade master.

 "I love you," Squall murmured so that only she could hear. Despite the endearing words, it made her body go rigid. _What was going on?_

 Of course Yuffie had a vague idea of what could make Squall say that at such a time-they didn't find the cure. Why else would he be telling her that? She was dying, and he knew it, so he was voicing his feelings. 

 "You didn't find it," she stated, not asked. Frankly, she was tired of hearing 'no'. They were running out of places to look, and she was running out of time and patience. Reflecting on it, she had to wonder if it was even worth it. 

 "Yuffie…" Sora started moving closer. His eyes looked fond, almost serene. What the hell was he so relaxed about? 

 Then she saw it. Sephiroth swam up to her, hesitantly reaching into a small bag that she was sure he hadn't had before. Squall was hanging onto her like a rag doll, but her arms were still mobile. Sephiroth nodded, and she numbly outstretched her hands and arms, while her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. 

 He laid a small jar in her hands, and her breath hitched. Her stomach rose, feeling like it collided with her throat. Her eyes were tearing, and she wanted to scream at the unbelievable sight.

 "Oh God-" 

 ~*~*~*~*~

Tomorrow's just another day Another way to spend day All by myself Staring at the TV screen Flipping through my magazines Everything is unclear I need you here And I wake up Put on my make up Pick up the phone Nobody's home And I need to break out Lend me some take out Stand inside a crowd I wanna scream aloud 

_That I'll be ok_

_That I'll be ok_

The ceilings here were so drab. They had a dull gray color, or faded yellow. Both were very unattractive and sickening. If not either of those, it was a badly splattered white and peach, like the person painting them had been in a hurry. 

 She stared up at it now-hers was yellow. She lay on the small carpet on the floor, gazing up. The carpet had been washed one too many times, she noted, because it felt too thin to be of any use anymore. 

 Being over-critical was something she could honestly say she never was, but now it seemed to have wound itself into her veins. She had this cold, frosted over feeling that made her eyes turn to ice. She talked a lot less, and the sweet, gentle air she normally carried was starting to nauseate her. 

 She had felt this before. It was when she was running down those stairs, past the furnished hallways, reeking of false pretense…

 She had tried to catch him, but he just dissipated in her arms, like sand through her fingers. She had lost it then. _Sora was gone._ As she followed the talking duck and dog down the stairs, too drunk with pain to even care about their names, her veins turned to ice. It was like her body was shutting down, the only thing that seemed to be working having been her eyes spewing tears. 

 Then when he returned as a Heartless, the ice turned to infuriation. She hated Ansem for doing this to him…and in a way she had some left to hate Riku too. 

 She had protected him, the only time in her life that she could remember having to do so. She was the one that needed protecting-the small, fragile china doll she was to them. She had been torn with fear for both of them as she hugged Sora close. The Heartless had been clawing at her clothes, her legs, pulling her down…

 Sora saved her again. 

 She had to wonder if she was more of a burden to Riku and Sora than anything else. Even now, were the others that were still here with her wondering if she needed some kind of guardian to walk her around? 

 She sighed desolately at the incongruity of the situation. If-under any circumstances- the Heartless returned to Traverse Town, the only one that they could rely on was Cloud. She highly doubted he could protect all of them either. He was strong, but not invincible, and he couldn't be everywhere at once. She cursed them for taking their long-range fighter, Gunblade master, and technically, their two Keyblade masters. What were they trying to do, rule the world? 

 She pushed herself, making a face as her burgundy hair covered up her vision. She wore the same outfit as always, purple skirt and white tank. She stared numbly at the badly matched walls and ceiling, then at her clothes. 

 "I need new clothes," she muttered absently, standing up. She opened the door, closing it with the barest of clicks. 

 If they only knew the effects loneliness had on her…

~*~*~*~*~

 Kairi walked in the second district, intent on reaching the first. She avoided the eyes of the people staring at her. She was just some sulking girl with red hair and lavender eyes to them. 

 Making a note not to look at the bright Christmas lights either and to remember to bring a coat, she shoved the heavy doors open, spotting Cid instantly. She never talked to him much, but with barely any other available company, she might as well start. 

 She walked up to him, standing next to him without a word as he rearranged the gummi blocks in the crates. He had apparently gotten a new shipment, judging from the stack of crates and the crow bar laying on the ground. 

 "Hey," she said softly. Cid looked up, staring into the dulled eyes of Sora's girlfriend. She looked…different. What was going on with her? 

 "Hey kid," he muttered shortly. He yelled something to someone, and Kairi peered over his shoulder to see Cloud carrying about two more hefty looking crates in his arms. Aerith and the two animals were nowhere in sight. 

 That crate. Kairi stared at the large wooden boxes next to her, sizing them up. They didn't look too big…they were about up to her knees if set on the ground. Now if Cloud could carry two, and he didn't look like he was struggling…

 "Can I help with anything?" Kairi asked the pilot, strengthening her voice. Cid stood straight up, towering over the young teen. He arched his eyebrows, looking at her for a moment like she'd lost it. Finally though he lowered his gaze and turned back to filing the gummi's. 

 "There are some armlet's you can polish in t' store. And the floor needs sweepin'."

 Kairi frowned. Obviously she hadn't been specific enough. 

 "No, you don't understand," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't want to do-" she paused for a word, remembering something that Yuffie had once said. "some sissy-crack job." She motioned toward Cloud, as Cid stared at her blankly. The kid had definitely been listening to Yuffie too much.

 "I want to do what he's doing. Or carry something, or, or anything that you'd give a guy to do!" 

 The next moment she felt Cid's hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. "Ya' sure you're ok?" 

 "I'm fine," she calmed her voice. "I want to help!" 

 Cid put his hands up, shaking his head. "Ok ok, I get it. Go over to Cloud and ask him what's left ta' carry. There are food supplies coming in too for the residents, so you can carry those." 

 Kairi nodded, still wondering if she had just demanded that. She walked silently away from him, down the steps and toward the World Gate. Cid shook his head. The world was going insane.

 "Hey," Kairi called again, just as she had with Cid. She wasn't used to saying any of their names yet. Cloud was leaning over a bunch of crates when he looked up at her. He had the same look that Cid had. She really needed to start communicating with these people. 

 "Cid said I could help you." She stood beside him, hands on her hips. Cloud looked at her skeptically for a moment, but finally shrugged. 

 "Whatever you want to do," he said, scratching the nape of his neck. "You can carry those over there to the shop." He pointed to some boxes that were only slightly smaller than the ones he had been carrying before. 

 She padded over to them, eying them like a lion would to meat. She bent down and pushed one forward slightly to get her fingers underneath it, and lifted it up. She wobbled precariously for a few moments, the weight making her arms shake. Ok, so maybe it was heavier than she first thought. 

 Cloud stared skeptically at her again, seeing the minute girl struggle with the large box. If the box was alive, it looked like it would've swallowed her up by now. He took a step forward to help, then thought better of it. If she wanted to do it, he wasn't going to bother her. On the other hand, if she got hurt, Aerith and Cid would kill him. Not to mention Sora-

 "Urgh," Kairi groaned, taking slow steps past him. He watched her for a while, making sure she wouldn't fall backwards or anything. She was much smaller than Aerith, but if she was willing to carry the box, he had to give her some credit. 

 It took her a good seven minutes to take the crate to the shop, which included the time it took for her to put it down, open the door, and pick it up again. By the time she came back, she hated to admit it, but she was huffing and puffing. 

 "You can carry some of the fruits," Cloud offered, pointing to some measly looking boxes that a toddler could probably run around with. Kairi shot him an insulted look and stalked over to the next box. It was wedged some way inside of the gummi, so she had to climb inside to reach it. This one was different from the last she had carried, or from the ones Cloud had. It was more of a large parcel, with clear tape wrapping it up and an elegant looking label on it. The box itself wasn't short of being stylish either. Whoever sent this was obviously had enough money to show off, or they were of some high importance. 

 She squinted at the label in the barely lit gummi ship, trying to read the curvy writing. Not really curvy, she noted, but more scrawled. Now that she noticed that, she saw that the tape was badly put on too. Whoever sent it was in a hurry. 

 "Lessee if I can read this," she murmured, pulling the box up close to her. She couldn't correctly see all the letters at first, so she examined the package and shook it. It was shaped like a rectangle, so it would be made to hold a bat, or a golf putt. The thing inside jingled loudly inside, like metal on metal. 

 "I'm being nosy," she reprimanded herself. What business of hers was someone else's delivery parcel? She was just about give up trying to find out what it was, when a name caught her eye. The name of the person the package was supposed to be delivered to…

 It was Sora's.

 "Is it my business now?" she asked herself. 

 "What?" Cloud had peeked his head in, and was watching her hold the parcel. "You've been in there for a while. Are you ok?" 

 "Yeah, sure. Fine." She unconsciously moved the package behind her back. Cloud eyed her suspiciously, but turned back to what he was doing. 

 "That was close," she whispered, pulling it back out. She stared at the package for a few minutes, wondering if she should open it. What if Sora got angry with her for opening it? But who would send him something here? Besides that, what could he possibly receive that he wouldn't end up showing her anyways?   
  


 She sighed at what she was about to do. Locating a small knife on the wall that Cid usually used, she slowly started to cut off the tape. It made no noise, the smooth serration cutting silently through the tape. She cut it down the middle, the knife going through the center of the label, cutting Sora's name in half. 

 She cut off the tape on the other end, and slowly opened it. She was having chills at whatever was in it. She felt like she was opening Pandora's box, about to unleash all of the darkness and evils in the world. 

 She paused, retracting her hands and hugging them to her chest. Why did she feel so cold? She stared, transfixed, at the parcel. 

 Then she heard it. 

 The thing in the box-whatever it was-it-it was _alive._

 She could hear the throb of a heartbeat coming from it. It beat louder and louder, and she wondered why Cloud wasn't coming in to look. It was almost making the walls shake now. Was she the only one who heard it? 

 Whatever it was, it scared her. She snatched up the parcel, hugging it to her chest. The beating only lessened. She jumped out of the ship. Cloud was nowhere in sight. The package throbbed once more; she gritted her teeth, and ran. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie wasn't sure what had happened after that. She could vaguely remember staring into the jar-_that jar-_ that held something she never believed she would see. She didn't recall much after that, only that she had fainted. 

 She woke up inside of a gummi ship, but still in Atlantica. She was wrapped in blankets and laying in her own bed. She had been shocked to find that she was back to her old self, her legs feeling stiff and unused under the warm fuzzy sheets. Not only that, the gummi had appeared to be fixed and devoid of any water. 

 She had been too tired to look for everyone else, and too numb to think about anything but what was in that small capsule that Sephiroth had laid in her hands. 

 It had been an odd looking plant, blue and purple stem, blue thorns tipped with black, and fire-colored petals, with purple at the edge, then red, orange, and yellow in the center. 

 It put it simply they had found the cure. 

 She found that that had to be the only reason she had lost consciousness. Sadly though, her pained body told her otherwise. She was running out of time. She wasn't even sure how much more time she had left. 

 She jolted as Squall came into her room, opening and closing the door with more force than was needed. He sat on her bed without a word, putting his head in his hands and leaning on his knees. She watched his hunched form, trying to decide what he was feeling. 

 "Are you ok?" she asked, not sure if he was going to answer sarcastically or answer at all. He just sighed, stood up, and started to pace. 

 "Not really," he admitted. He glanced at her, noting her pale-almost blue- skin. Did she know how…dead she looked? 

 "What's going on?" She crawled over to him, pressing her face against his back. She could feel his muscles shift as he let out a deep sigh. 

 "Kir is trying to come with us." 

 "Really?" she couldn't help but feel amused. Curiosity took over for a moment. "Can he?" 

 Squall sounded flabbergasted. She gave a weak smile at the thought of Squall with a shocked face, mouth-hanging open slightly. 

 "You actually _want_ him to come?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes. "He's annoying." 

 Yuffie pouted against his back, hitting him lightly. She frowned as she realized how weak she was becoming, because it barely even looked like she hit him. 

 "Well that makes two of us," she reminded him. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, barely able to cover half of his body with her arms. Her arms hung there limply, and she didn't have the strength to tighten her hold. 

 "He hits on you." 

 "I think I can handle him." 

 Squall groaned again, more irate this time. She moved back with shock as he shot out of the bed and stalked out of the room without a word. Was he jealous?

 _'There I go again,'_ she thought miserably. _'For once I'd like to not scare him away with something stupid I said…_' 

 She soon realized that her brown-haired knight wasn't going to return, and dozed in and out of consciousness. She had many thoughts on her mind, all disorderly and hectic, although she made no sign of the inner turmoil she was dealing with. At one point she fell asleep completely, and awoke to dull hum of the ship, and a black, void-like scenery to greet her from the window. 

 "Hello?" she called out, like a little girl in a long, dark corridor. She really couldn't remember what had happened. 

 The cure. _'Am I still dying?'_ she thought wonderingly. If this was what if felt like to be better again, it sure didn't feel that idyllic… 

 "IS ANYONE THERE?" she screamed so loudly that she thought her vocal chords were going to shatter. She was still sick-she could feel it. If they found the damn cure, why was she still in pain, steadily losing weight, and lying in this god-forsaken bed? 

 No one answered at first, and she started to scream and rant at the same time, the pain of the disease and thoughts of loneliness driving her to the brink of utter insanity. 

 Her door was flung open, and her screaming ceased, staying as quiet as a mute. Squall was staring at her with wild, wide eyes, looking for the source of all her earsplitting noise. Sephiroth was standing behind him, looking just as alarmed. She couldn't blame them; she had sounded like she was being eaten alive. 

 "Why am I not better?" she demanded, her stomach lurching from her previous yelling. She was beginning to feel to recoil of making such uproar in her state. 

 Squall exhaled noisily, as if knowing that the question was inevitable. Frankly, it was. He moved into the room, leaving Sephiroth to stand in the doorway, leaning in disinterest against the frame. 

 "The plant we found has the properties that are required to heal you, but it's only part of the ingredients-" 

 "Ingredients?" she shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me that we needed more than one item?" 

 "I didn't know," Squall murmured. Yuffie glared at Sephiroth, who was staring back with a cool, steady gaze. 

 "_You_ knew," she stated accusingly. He just nodded, making her want to strangle him even more. 

 She glared some more, but gave up after a period of time. Her eyes were failing her, as was her body. She wasn't really sure how much time had passed. She remembered Sephiroth leaving, and Squall tucking her in like a child, holding her gaze and giving a small, reassuring smile. The rest was a blur in her decrepit mind, but she did recall the last thing that Squall said quite clearly. 

 "Three days." 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 He carefully measured the small tablespoon of chocolate, dumping it into the scalding milk. After a few more scoops of the powder, half of it spilled on the minute counter, he finally groaned in frustration and gave up. He doubted they would care if he followed the measurements exactly. With all the time it took him to do a simple task such as making hot cocoa, he had to wonder if he'd been tricked into leaving. It would be just like them to swindle him and him coming back only to find that they had ripped each other's throats out.

 _'I wouldn't put it past them,'_ he thought glumly. He picked up the spoon to scoop more chocolate, remembered the foul attitudes of the boys in the cockpit, and thought better of it. Let them burn their tongues on bland cocoa. Then maybe they would admit to having sent him away. 

 "Help me," he moaned as he entered the cockpit. Being stuck with two older boys-both having them same inferiority complex that he had come to associate too much with-was driving him retarded. 

 "Stop that!" Riku snapped in an agitated voice, barely resisting the urge to hang himself. The twirling of Kir's daggers were more than enough to give him the motivation. 

 "Lighten up," Kir said casually, using a line that Riku was used to hearing from Sora and his pals. "It's not going to kill you." 

 "It will in a few seconds," Riku grated, putting his head in his hands. He really didn't know why he was so agitated. It was something about Kir being as light-hearted as Sora, as offhanded as himself, and as playful as Kairi that probably got to him. 

 "The drinks are ready," Sora said in his jocular voice, trying to alleviate the tense atmosphere. Forlornly though, his joviality wasn't even close to rubbing off on them, and he sat moodily in his chair while Kir and Riku silently drank the cocoa, not even commenting on the hot, tasteless liquid. Sora let his own drink become cold and untouched while he ruminated on the predicament they were in. 

 _'I can't believe I left my girlfriend for **this**' _he thought as Riku quietly placed his mug in a small cup holder and marched to the back row of the seats, throwing himself on them in what might have been a sleeping position. Kir was examining the remnants of his drink, swirling them around in contemplation. Finally, the blond haired teen spoke. 

 "I don't get it." 

 A sardonic grunt was heard from the back row, but Sora ignored it. "Don't get what, Kir?"

 "This whole thing with Yuffie," he waved his hands around in the air. "It feels…over-exasperated somehow. I mean, making her travel around with a disease, making her wait, putting up her hopes, then making her wait some more? It's ridiculous." Kir paused, his pianist-like fingers cupping his chin thoughtfully. "And I've only been here for less than a _day._" 

 "I know what you mean," Sora sighed. "I think…" 

 "Where're we going?" Kir asked suddenly. Sora wondered how he could do that. Just change the area under discussion so frivolously. 

 "Uh, I think its Agraba." 

 "Oh." Kir didn't seem to want an explanation for what Agraba was, and where. Sora couldn't help but glance at Kir's legs, covered in a pair of Squall's extra black pants. The older boy was too tall for both Sora's and Riku's clothes, so he borrowed some of Squall's. The way the pants were scrunched up at the bottom made Sora wonder how tall _Squall_ really was. 

 "How did you learn to walk so quickly?" Sora blurted. Kir smiled flippantly, eyes holding unending mirth, as if concealing a deep, hilarious secret. 

 "It wasn't that hard," he said calmly, staring down at his own limbs. "Learning how to walk is a lot easier than learning how to swim," he supplied, walking over to the controls with interest and fingering them. 

 Sora shrugged. It was odd how fast he learned, although he knew it was far from unusual. But for him to walk so well in such short time was a little unsettling. He never even saw Kir stumble or practice once. 

 "Don't touch those," Sora chided softly, sounding like Cid. Kir recoiled his fingers slowly, but continued to stand in front of the controls. Sora ignored him much after that. 

 Riku-he assumed- was sleeping in the back seat. Sora had not expected any "visitors", so he had taken a gummi with only one room. The three of them had all been as stubborn as mules when it came to who was taking the room, none of them wanting to look like the weakest. In the end they decided on just switching every night, with one person watching the controls, one sleeping in a row of seats, and the other in the room. It worked, he guessed. 

 "You think that the Heartless will be stronger in Agraba?" Kir asked, giving a sideways look to the Keyblade master. 

 "I don't know," Sora admitted, hanging his head in thought. "They were normally weaker than the ones in Atlantica, but I'm not even sure now." 

 "What would be your guess?" 

 "Guess? My intuition is as good as jack-squat. But if there are any new variations of Heartless there, we're as good as dead. The new Heartless are complete bitches." 

 "You remind me of a coin," Kir murmured softly. Sora shot him a confused look. "You're innocent on one side and cursing and moody on the other." He laughed when he said this, and Sora had no comeback, because he knew it was true. Lately, he had begun to have two different personalities, both as different as day and night. 

 "How old are you anyways?" Sora asked, more out of curiosity than anything. Hell, if it weren't for his curiosity, he would've been as quiet as Squall was. 

 "Eighteen," Kir said. He sounded as if he had told over half a population that, like a movie star who had to answer one too many personal questions.

 Sora nodded his head. He had already figured that he was around that age, but the question wouldn't leave him alone until it was wholly answered. 

 A small voice in his head growled to him as he walked to his room and collapsed on his bed, and he laughed. 

_ 'Agraba sucks._'

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Kairi was trembling badly when she reached her room, the bundle in her arms having been nearly dropped more than was enough. She had badly handled the parcel on her way here, literally throwing it across the room barely after she managed to get the door open. She left it there for some time, not daring to even step near it. 

 She tried to occupy herself with other things- staring at the bland walls, counting the vivid Christmas lights outside, listening to the dull voices of the people below her. It wasn't helping though.  

 About an hour after she had ran off with it, interest was prying itself inside of her again. She couldn't stop glancing at the package lying forgotten on the ground-the dull throb was still noticeable. She had a feeling that this was something it did- make it so the person who found couldn't keep themselves away from it.

 She moved out of instinct, grabbing the parcel and climbing onto the bed with it. She considered opening it for a second. Now that it was so close, the throb was so loud, so threatening…

 _'Just do it Kairi.'    _

She slowly opened the flaps of the previously opened parcel, her heart beating in staccato, so much faster and nervous than the steady beat from the box. 

 She reached in the box, hand coming to enclose around a long, cold, slim handle of a sort-

 She screamed. 

 Much to her horror, the box exploded, making her scream loudly in terror. Her hand was stuck to the object, and as much as she tried to force herself off of it, it was stuck to her hand like super glue. The item was making her arm go frigid, and she felt so close to dying that she started to silently cry. Sobs racked her violently racked her body as the throbbing became all she could hear, blocking out everything, even her own breathing.  

 One by one, the lights of Traverse Town went out, until the only light Kairi could see was the dull, angry color of the object in her hand. 

 She stared, aghast, as she recognized what she was holding. 

 The black Keyblade winked deviously at her, emitting a light of its own. It had a livid, menacing look, and it made her blood run cold. She was surprised that her tears didn't turn to ice.

 Black and white memories were flashing in front of her, but they weren't her memories. She saw a man with long hair walking silently past her. He had eyes that might've once held some warmth, but all they held now was ice and seclusion. A young boy watched him with a sad, but respectful face. The man patted the young boy on the head, but it was a distant, unsympathetic pat, like the boy was more of a distraction than anything else. The man turned around and Kairi saw his face for the first time, and she noticed two things. One was that the younger boy was probably the man's son from the face similarity, and the other was that the older man was Ansem. 

 Kairi wanted to pull away at that point, didn't want to see anymore of that despicable man that had caused all of these problems. But the Keyblade seemed to burst with anger at her unwillingness to watch, and it seemed to thrum louder, making her arm grow colder. She stilled, forcing herself to witness the rest of the memories.

 The memories sped forward again, about a year or so. The young boy was screaming loudly, arms trashing with tears streaming down his face. He was strapped down to a large metal table, surrounded by vials and scientific instruments. Ansem stood some way to the side, seemingly unbothered by his sons despairing cries. They were down in a dungeon of some sort, and Ansem was concocting something. 

 _'Something to experiment on his son,'_ the cruel thought hit Kairi, and she started to cry again. 

 _ "Please don't,"_ the boy bawled desperately. _"Don't daddy…"_

 Ansem shook his head, lifting up a small needle filled with a disgusting green liquid. He squirted it experimentally, turning to stare at his son. No, he wasn't staring at his son, not with those eyes. It was like he was looking at a stranger, not his own offspring. The boy howled and pleaded some more as his father stepped closer, but it was no use. Ansem injected the needle into the poor boy's skin, making him scream and pant loudly. 

 Kairi couldn't take it. She could feel the young boys pain, the screams so loud that she felt her eardrums would burst. 

 Ansem was back at the table, and this time he was holding a scalpel and a bottle of ink. He turned back to his son, and leaned over the tortured boy. 

 Kairi watched, nearly throwing up, as Ansem carved the Heartless symbol into his son's head with the scalpel, the obsidian ink oozing and blending in with the boy's blood, making it a sickly maroon color as it trickled down the boy's face. 

 The boy wasn't screaming anymore-only tormented whimpers were being emitted now. She could see his body twitching with pain, and she felt an overpowering need to go to him, push Ansem away and take the boy in her arms. 

 Slowly the memory started to fade, the heartbeat became softer, and she once again found herself staring at the bleak walls of her hotel room. 

 She brought a hand up to her cheek, the other one still keeping a vice-grip on the Keyblade. She looked down at the weapon for a second, remembered the agonized boy, and ran to the toilet, heaving up all of her breakfast. 

~*~*~*~*~

 She looked vacantly at the window of her minute room. She couldn't coherently remember how long she'd been staring at it. It had started as a few seconds, grew into minutes, and spanned into hours. Her eyes watered, and she wondered if she had subconsciously tried to keep them open all this time. Wasn't blinking an instinct? Wait…it was a reflex…or-but-she couldn't remember anymore. 

 Her arm lifted, and then dropped itself back down with an unobtrusive thump. She couldn't pick it up any higher than a few inches, much less a foot. Her legs…well, she couldn't even move them. 

 What else couldn't she move? Not paralyzed, really, more exhausted. The disease was hitting her fully now, and she could feel her death closer than she had ever felt it before. She glanced at the small bottle of pills sitting on her nightstand meaningfully. At this point, she had to believe that they were one of the only things keeping her alive. The other thing was her friends…and Squall. 

 "Three days," she whispered, her voice raucous and hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in awhile. She knew she hadn't meant to hear that, and in all honestly, she really wished she hadn't. She realized, staring out that window for all those hours, that she had wasted some of her last moments of her three measly days of living. 

 _'You're not going to die,_' Kamakiri chose this inconvenient time to pop up. She couldn't even struggle with the over-sized bug anymore with her mind. She had the mental capacity of a toddler. 

 "Now's not the time," she croaked, turning her head slightly. "I want to be alone." 

 _'That's never going to really happen.'  _

"Leave me alone." 

 Was it just her, or did he/she/it sound angry? It somewhat distracted her with the realization that she couldn't even remember Kamakiri's gender. 

 _'Oh Yuffie, stop being so juvenile. You're **not** going to die. You're acting like a depressed teen.' _

"I am?" she asked. "You're the only one…that believes I'm not going to die. You're the one who's wrong." 

 _'I detest that. I am not wrong. You'll see.'_

"I don't want to talk to you anymore." 

 Yuffie waited for a reply, but none came. She couldn't ignore the way her heart seemed to deflate when he (she/it?) didn't answer. Maybe she had secretly enjoyed talking to him more than she had acknowledged. 

 She laid there for a few minutes, listening to the sounds that-she figured-meant that her body was slowly shutting down. It certainly seemed that way. She felt that her body was tired of trying to fight the disease, and had turned against her and joined forces with it in a last effort to end her life faster. She thought she had heard of something similar to that-how the person's body ends up aiding the infection instead of preventing it. 

 "Kamakiri?" she asked timidly after awhile. She didn't want to be alone anymore. She hated to admit it, but as much as she loved Squall, she couldn't stand to face him. It seemed that there was a gap growing between them, and she was helpless to stop it. Somehow she felt that asking him to date her back then had been the wrong time, and had put more of a burden on him when he learned of her soon-to-be-untimely demise.

 _'Yes?' _

"I won't die." 

 A soft whirring sound, something that reminded her of a bug's swift movement of its wings, answered her. 

 _'I know.'_

~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: Sorry this took so long. I have nothing else to say. Really, I'm not supposed to be typing this because I have a major report due, but I know if I don't post this now, it probably wouldn't have come out until February. Anyways don't expect updates for the rest of this month because I too much crap to do. 

 On a more irrelevant note, I'm turning fourteen in ten days. ^_^;;

 

    

   


	19. Elapsed Love

Bring Me To Life

Disclaimer: Ok, seriously…

Chapter Nineteen: Elapsed Feelings

_Tick. Tock._

It had been exactly two hours, fifteen minutes, fifty-three seconds, and forty-seven milliseconds since she had hurled into the toilet. It was precisely two hours, eighteen minutes, three seconds, and thirty-two milliseconds since she'd seen Ansem and his son. As for when the havoc had started outside, she'd be damned if she knew. 

 She knew in a way it was her fault. The screaming people, the absence of any lights, the way Traverse Town grew so inorganic and cold that you could feel yourself being choked out of your very life…

 She had stuck her nose into something that wasn't supposed to be meddled with. It had been solely for Sora, and no one else. Messing with the Keyblade master's business was serious shit, something that she had realized too late. To her, Sora was just Sora. It had never even once occurred to her that the thing in that box was something that only the Keyblade wielder could handle. 

 Someone was pounding on the door. Or at least, she thought someone was. She couldn't quite decipher the palpitating noise of her heart from anything in her ambiance. She looked up from her prone position on the bed.

 The door was rattling. Oh.

 "Kairi!" 

 Who was that? Kairi shook her head, which lolled around her neck like a leaden weight. 

 "Cloud?" she stuttered, clambering off the bed in a drunken fashion. Queasiness hit her when she stood on her feet, and she collapsed against the trembling door, the pounding painfully deafening to her ears. It was like someone was hammering her skull with an anvil.

 "Wat?" she slurred. She had never felt so smashed and disoriented in her life. Of course there had been that time when she lost her heart-

 She unlocked the door, the doorknob she was hanging on the only thing that was keeping her from falling straight on her rump. She stared up into Cloud's blue eyes, reminding her so much of Sora's own azure…

 Strong hands gripped at her lithe waist, and she felt her stomach drop as she was lifted off the ground and flung over his shoulder. Her body jounced up and down as he ran, the bumpy ride she was experiencing leaving no room for any questions or explanations. 

 She felt his movements increase, and looked down toward his feet at the cold cobble stairs he was sprinting down. His sword was being dragged along the floor with his other hand, and she watched with vague interest as it tore out pieces of cobble from the stairs and ground. 

 "Shhhttt." 

 "What?" she asked, feeling his body still and rigid. Now that he had stopped all movements, she felt as if she was tilting toward the earth, and being sucked straight into the ground. She quivered slightly and gripped tightly onto his tattered cape for support. 

 "Shit," Cloud repeated harshly, and she felt his grip on her waist tighten painfully, pushing her against his shoulder roughly. She could feel her mid-section going white from lack of circulation, and she gripped at him even tighter in response. If he was going to grip her to death, then so was she. 

 "It's my fault," she blurted to his cape, although she doubt he heard her. She knew why he had stopped. She could feel them already-their rotten smell, slanted eyes, and claws that dripped with blood…

 She felt it instantly, the hand in her hair, scraping at her skull. She shrieked like a crow being chased by a cat, grabbing the cold spindly claws and trying to tear them out from her hair. They held fast, and she could feel her skin lifting as her hair was viciously being pulled out. 

 She forced her head upward, coming face to face with the ominous face of the Heartless, the glowing eyes nearly blinding her. It moved its obsidian face closer, something it was going to regret. Kairi, putting aside all of her normally placid and nervous behavior, lifted her arms and stabbed her fingers into the glowing golden eyes, watching with a trembling grimace as it screamed and splurged sickening looking blackish-maroon blood. Her own presumptuous attack had shot pain through her whole body, but she was far from caring. All she wanted was those disgusting claws out of her hair. 

 "Kairi!" Cloud snapped. He was off and running again, and Kairi could see the Heartless she had stabbed running blindly after them. She looked down at her fingers, each digit covered in the gooey liquid that felt like acid. She wiped it off on Cloud's cape, sure that he wouldn't mind if she told him it had been burning her. 

 _Plop_.

 She was thrown into a gummi ship, landing squarely on her rump. A small, shaky hand encircled her thin forearm, not trying to pull her up, but not saying that it wanted her to stay on the ground either. Kairi followed her eyes up the minute hand staring up into the emerald orbs of Aerith. 

 She had nothing to ask, nothing to say. The way Aerith was looking at her told her everything. She didn't know how the older woman knew it was she, and she was in no hurry to figure that anomaly out. 

 "Sorry," she muttered guiltily, down casting her eyes. "Really, I am. I mean-I didn't mean to-" 

 "It's ok," Aerith said genially, although it was far from OK. 

 Kairi sighed, realizing how thankful she was that she wasn't Sora.

 ~*~*~*~*~

 _'Cause I'm due for a miracle_

_ I'm waiting for a sign_

_ I'll stare straight into the sun_

_ And I won't close my eyes_

_ Till I understand or go blind_

_ -Stare into the Sun, Thrice_

 He had his head in his hands, sweat careening off of his forehead. He was the prefect picture of a man at a loss. His shoulders were hunched and tense, his gaze dark and brooding. With his hands tightly knit together, grasping his head as if to smash it, he knew that he looked positive dissatisfied.

 He knew it. The obviousness of it was as big as a flashing neon signs with a million arrows around it. 

 He was at the end of his rope. 

 Nearly literal, in fact. He knew that if he didn't find how to cure her soon, he would lose his mind, if only to be with her. 

 His mind flashed back to an hour before, which had to be the most petrifying moment that he'd ever felt in his life. 

 _She woke up with a violent jolt, struggling and kicking against him. He woke up instantly, staring at the livid girl that he held in his arms, feeling fear creep up on him like a silent storm. Her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes…_

_ The auburn pupils were gone. In their place, appalling, seemingly haunted whites of her eyes showed, rolling ominously around in their sockets. In spite of the horrific state of her eyes, her vision seemed perfectly fine. She sprang out of his arms, her robust movements worrying Squall. She fixed him with her unnerving gaze of white, lifted a feeble fist, and fiercely sucker punched him. Squall felt the impact hit his mouth, rattling his teeth. He was too stunned to even ask. _

_ She swung at him again, and like before, the impact came crashing down onto his face. He shook out of his stupor, reaching for her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Her pupil-less eyes widened when no resonance braced her ears, and she desperately clawed at her throat, her mouth forming unheard words. _

_ "Yuffie?" Squall asked. She was standing on the floor, with him still lying uselessly in their bed. She looked in serious panic now, and it only seemed to heighten when she looked at Squall, and he too seemed to be moving his lips but making no sound._

_ She let out another silent scream, her eyes glazed with incomprehensible fear as Squall said something again, without noise. _

_ She was deaf and mute, she realized, and standing in a room with a man she'd never met before. _

_ Who was he? And why did he keep attempting to touch her? Didn't he know she was sick? The most her mind formed was that he was an evil pervert, judging on how he had been holding her in his arms only moments before. Anger bubbled in her mind at the thought of being taken advantage of by a stranger. _

_ 'Go away!' she mouthed, almost crying with frustration when she heard nothing. Squall shook his head, standing up and moving toward her. She shrieked wordlessly, unlocked the door, and ran frantically out of the room, locking herself in the bathroom. It was then that she looked in the mirror and saw hell. _

_ A pallid girl, almost blue in color, stared back. She had wiry, unkempt hair, a sullen and thinning face, and deep set and sharply outlined eyes. The worst though was her pupil-less eyes, which stared back with cavernous venom and hate, as if scorning her own hideousness. All in all, she looked like Satan's wife. _

_ Or worse. _

_ She heard the man banging on the door, and then she really started to cry. She wanted him to leave her alone._

_ She knew that he wouldn't hear her, but she didn't care. _

_ 'I hate you.' She mouthed, feeling in all the world that she meant it._

Squall was pinching his eyes painfully, trying to stop the onslaught of tears that threatened to spill. He was a man, dammit, and he would not cry. On the other hand…

 His girlfriend was mute, deaf, dying, pupil-less, and had no memories of him at all. Why the hell shouldn't he cry? 

 He stood up, clenching his eyes shut and forcing the moisture back. When he was sure that all remains of the saltine liquid had been banished, he turned and stared at the Gunblade propped on the wall. He had been staring at it for a while now, and that stupid trigger and gun were starting to look too damn tempting.

 Really, he didn't think it would burden Yuffie's conscience much if he killed himself. If she didn't remember him at all, then she'd give less than a flying pig to know that her supposed 'pervert' was dead. 

 He walked over to it, but instead of picking it up and aiming it at his head like his mind was so prodding him to do, he instead sated himself with slamming his fist forcefully into the wall. He could feel the skin on his knuckles stretch and rip, and he welcomed the thin train of blood that tickled down his arm. His arm trembled, but it had nothing to do with the hit. 

 "Goddammit Yuffie," he hissed, leaning towards the wall and resting his forehead against it. "Why are you doing this to me…" 

 The worst of it all was that Yuffie's memory was as right as rain, save for the fact that he had been removed from it. She remembered Aerith, Sora, her home, even the girl-indulgent Kir. He, on the other had, was just a fly on her windshield of life. But then again…she didn't have much life left now. 

 His heart throbbed painfully and, not liking the unrequited-love-feeling bubbling up inside of him, slammed his other fist into the wall, taking masochistic satisfaction in the blood that fell. It fell freely, so unlike the detained tears that he held back, fighting against him like a caged bird. 

 Caged bird…

 Ironically, he couldn't help but picture a dove. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Sephiroth watched Yuffie scribble things onto a piece of paper that he had provided her to use for words. She had already used up half the paper writing lyrics from old songs and drawing uneducated, childish pictures, and he could see that she was now wasting the rest writing some miserable poem of some sort. 

 It was pathetic watching her. She looked like a demon with those eyes and undernourished body. That wasn't what hindered him though. It was the fact that she-stupid, blind little girl-didn't even remember her own lover. 

 She was in a dangerous state, he knew. Without knowing Squall, she could as easily get attached to someone else, and the ensuing results would be catastrophic. Sephiroth could already picture Squall standing over some unknowing guy, blood on his hands for touching his Yuffie. 

 He wished she would stop scribbling. He could see something weighing heavily on her mind, and also in the way she held a death grip on her pen. 

 Finally, unable to take it, he snatched the paper away, along with her pen, and wrote a single line. 

 _'Don't you care who he is?'_

He shoved the paper in her face, watching as she read it with bored, but slightly annoyed eyes. 

 _'That bastard? No.'_

Her writing was small, and not as neat as it should be. Sephiroth sighed in aggravation, using the head of a chair to write on. 

 _'He loves you.'_

_ 'He would.' _ Even in writing, he could see the sarcasm dripping from those two words. 

 _'I'm serious. You lost your memory Yuffie. He's a big part of your life.'_

_ 'Would that be in or out of the bedroom?'_

Sephiroth took her paper away from her before she could write more. He didn't take notice of the way the paper ripped when he snatched it from her, and ignored the way it floated to the floor. He had lost his patience with her.

 "You're a baby," he stated, not caring that all it was to her was a bunch of mouth movements. He stalked away; he then realized the only place he could lock himself in was the bathroom. He sighed, and then proceeded to do so. He whispered a final statement as he locked the door. "A lost, delusional baby." 

 Yuffie sat in the cockpit, shaking restlessly. She didn't understand why he had left, but she knew she had made him angry. Maybe that guy really _was_ important. 

 A wild, incessant blinking light signaled that they were landing. She staggered to her feet, walking toward the front of the ship, using the seats as handrails. She was walking bow-legged-it was painful, and pretty embarrassing. 

 _'Yuffie.'_

_ 'Whaddaya want insect guts.'_

_ 'I **seriously** don't appreciate that. Never mind that. He was telling the truth.'_

 'I dun' care. Besides, even if I really did love him, it's not gonna help me much now, is it?'  'At least be affable with him.'    'Faffa-what-what?'  'Friendly you knave. Be friendly!' 

 _'Fine.'_

_ 'Good. Now go to your room.' _

_ 'Excuse me? I'm goin' to Agraba ya green doofus.'_

_ 'Not if I have anything to do with it.'_

She grumbled and whined, but Kamakiri was impermeable. She slouched off to her room, her feeble legs barely carrying her the distance. Her body was burning like hell, like she'd run though flames and was dealing with the after-math singes. She stumbled into her room, nearly crawling onto her bed. She felt so tired…

 The door opened softly, revealing the wary and dead beat face of Squall. Yuffie's first impression was to throw the most unholy fit he'd ever seen, but at the sight of his vapid expression, she withheld it. 

 "Hey," he whispered softly, making a small waving motion with it. She tilted her head to the side, sinking deeper into the sheets at the same time. Finally, with much hesitation, she gave a tiny wave back. Squall shut the door soundlessly, leaning against it, ignoring the doorknob digging into his vertebrae. Yuffie seemed to relax when she noticed that he made not notion to move toward her. 

It was then she noticed his hands. They had been wrapped in a white piece of clothing, probably one of his over-used shirts. She could see the tinge of red staining a few places on it, and she could already picture the swollen knuckles in her mind. The swollen knuckles seemed to expand to the rest of her brain, and soon she was picturing the object that he must've smashed or demolished, the monotonous-no, angry- look screwing up his chiseled features as he swung his hands into the object…

 She pointed to his hands. He glanced down at them, as if noticing them for the very first time. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it with a resigned look. It was damn hard talking to a deaf person.

 Feeling like some sort of caveman, he pointed to his knuckles, then the wall, showing a slow-motion reply of what he'd done minutes before in his own room. Yuffie nodded her head, yawned, and stared at him some more. He couldn't stand to look into her pupil-less eyes, so occupied himself with gazing fixedly at one of the corners of the ceiling. 

 He couldn't concentrate. Dammit, he could barely even breathe. It was still hard for him to process whether him being in the room with her was tangible or not. It could just be his delusional mind playing tricks on him-it was possible, knowing that he'd barely gotten a wink of sleep. 

 If she hadn't lunged at him yet, he was sorely contemplating the whole thing as a stupid fantasy. 

 As if was, she was staring deeply at him, her demonic looking eyes burning holes through his chest. It was like torture; if she couldn't make him go away, might as well make him fry in hell with Satan's eyes.

 Portions of those thoughts were swept away though when he heard a soft pat. He leveled his gaze with hers, seeing her patting the bed space beside her. He eyed her cautiously, regretfully remembering a few times when he had fallen for her innocent acting. She didn't look like she was waiting to lure him into his trap like a spider, so he stepped toward her, albeit tentatively. 

 He stood next to her bed, and she looked up at him. He had such beautiful eyes-

 She abruptly turned her head away, remembering the current state of her own phantomlike ones. If he was still here, and not running head and tail away from her repugnant looks, then she had to admit that he was pretty brave. Or of course, the other reason was the one that everyone was telling her-he loved her. 

 A paper was being waved in front of her face, perhaps as means to get her to converse with him. But she just took it and laid it at her side, making no attempt to write on it. She wasn't completely confident about this man, so when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she jolted badly. 

 Squall frowned, retracting his hand as quickly as he'd put it on. He knew he shouldn't have done that, but ever fiber of his being had been screaming to just touch her. She looked edgy now, thanks to his uncontrolled body, and he silently derided himself for being so impatient. 

 There was an uncomfortable feeling in the air now. He searched for something to do, something to say-erm-write. He was never good with consoling or making light conversation with anyone, and he was probably even worse at putting it in writing. Thankfully though, the ninja saved him the trouble when she pointed to the window. 

 He looked out at it, seeing a vast expanse of sand dunes. That was just it-sand. It was barely interesting. An cackling little voice in his brain reminded him that that "barely interesting" place was where he'd be spending the next few hours or so. 

 "You're gonna have to stay here," he said. His back was turned to her, so neither gave any notion that they had actually heard that. 

 He leaned over her, intent on grabbing the paper and pen that laid on her other side. What he didn't expect was the way Yuffie leaned into him when he did so, pressing her forehead against his bicep and resting her hand on his forearm. 

 "Yu-" he cut himself off. Why the hell was he trying to complain? She was touching him, and its what he'd wanted ever since she'd punched him in the mouth that morning. 

 Her hand felt cold and thin, like a zombie's. The feverish warmth that a human carried was only a dull throb within her, only detectable near the very core of her heart. He watched as several emotions flickered across her face, the most prominent being agony. He remembered how Sephiroth said that the disease would spread to her whole body, leaving it engulfed in pain. 

 He didn't want her to stop, but as soon as she had done it, it was gone. She pulled her head back, her arms slipping lifelessly to her sides. She refused to look at him, staring at the wall as if it was the most appealing thing in the world. He couldn't ignore the wave of disappointment that crashed into him. 

 Squall finished what he had to do, grabbing the paper and writing what he'd said earlier to her. She glanced down at it, acting unusually reticent. Yuffie nodded twice, laying herself down very slowly. Too slowly, he thought, watching as her face contorted with the strain that the disease was putting on her muscles and bones. 

 With her head pillowed and her body relaxing slightly, she pointed to the bottle of pills on her nightstand. Squall took it without a word, filling a glass with water from a water bottle. He put them down, and reached out to her to help her sit up and down the pills. He stopped completely when a series of coughs racked her body. She hacked and shook, hair flailing. He grabbed the pills, the glass with water sloshing all over his hand, and waited helplessly for her to stop. He obviously couldn't make her take the capsules when she was coughing. 

 After a few minutes, her coughing resided, leaving her looking even more pained and washed out. She was clutching her chest, and from the looks of it, was having a hard time breathing. 

 "Take these," he whispered, slipping his hand gently behind her head, pushing it up. She watched his lips move, feeling an unknown emotion bubble over in pit of her stomach. She didn't know who he was or where he came from, but for some reason, she took comfort in his presence. She hadn't known what he'd said, but just seeing his mouth moved made her somewhat at peace. 

 She let him push the two capsules in her mouth, pushing her body up further as he held the glass himself with his other hand, letting her gulp down the water. She enclosed her hand around the glass, and he made the mistake of letting it go. 

 Yuffie didn't know what had made her so upset- the cold water spilling onto her bed sheets and wetting her, or the fact that her hand was too feeble and uncontrolled to hold a light glass cup. 

 She moaned, the sound passing upon deaf ears. She was in near tears, and she had no idea why. 

 Squall cussed loudly, grapping the glass and setting it on the nightstand. The ninja was lying in the bed like she was paralyzed, her body completely immobile, except for her lips, which were trembling horribly. 

 "Shit, Yuffie," he hissed, taking her cheek and stroking it gently. She whined like a wounded puppy, although no sound came out. She didn't care about the wet spreads at that point; the heat of Agraba had wafted into the ship, warming up the whole Gummi. 

 'Calm down Yuffie!' 

She ignored her summon, her mind taken over with frustration. The disease made her head swim, and before she knew what she was doing, she lashed out at Squall blindly with her teeth. 

 The warmth from her cheek left her, and she could taste the metallic-y blood in her mouth. She felt angry at herself for attacking him when he'd only tried to help, and she felt like crying even more. 

 Squall watched her roll her head around like a convulsive person, clutching his bleeding hand. Dammit, she had bit right where the bandages had ended. Not only that, he felt less inclined to come near her now more than ever. 

 _'Yuffie, you scared him away.'_

_ 'I know! Christ…Sweet God I didn't mean to!' _

_ 'I know you didn't. But he doesn't know that. Uh-oh-'_

She looked up, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. He was leaving, and before she could do anything, the door had shut behind him. 

 A new wave of cold, having nothing to do with her sickness, engulfed her. _'No,'_ she thought desperately. _'Please, come back.'_

She looked around the room, frantic for any sign that showed that the man didn't truly hate her. To her relief, she managed to find it. Laid on her nightstand, next to the pills, was a small note, one that made her heart swell and break at the same time. 

 _Yuffie,_

_ I am sorry I have to leave you in such a condition. Sora, Sephiroth, and I will be gone for a few hours, four being the maximum. I will leave you in the care of Riku and Kir…as much as I regret doing that. Don't…_

She noted that he'd crossed out several words and sentences, all of which were criss-crossed out beyond understanding. A soft laugh formed at the back of her throat when she noted what he'd decided to put down. 

 _Do anything stupid. _

More crossing out. Had he written this before he'd come into the room? 

 She read that part over again, giggling at it. It was the last part that got her though. 

 _I know you don't know who I am, and I am remorseful for that fact. Just know that I am here to help you and that-_

She most nearly choked. 

 _I love you._

~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: Oops, I know that chapter was short. I kinda-ok- REALLY wanted to get this chapter out. I was getting antsy. **Note** I revised the first chapter, and I think it's a bit more entertaining than before. It really won't make a difference whether you read it or not though, because none of the plot was changed, just the dialogue and the way things went in that chapter. 

Also, I would like to thank all of my reviewers. With almost 150 reviews, I am pretty floored. I really didn't believe I would get any. So thank you for all that have supported me!! 

 If you haven't reviewed yet, please do. 


	20. Cordian Root

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: It's somewhere back there…

Chapter Twenty: Cordian Root

A/N: Ok, things have been kinda hectic with this story. The first chapters are weird because I haven't had a chance to revise them, and some of them still say "Finding Your Heart". Also, some may have noticed that I had changed Yuffie's hair and eye color back to brown some time back, and some chapters say she has black hair and eyes. 

 Secondly, when I upload chapters-for some reason-sentences in italics get jumbled into one paragraph instead of individual lines. I'm working on fixing that, although I have no idea in hell why it does that. Lastly, I really don't know how long this story is going to be. It was only a few days ago that I figured out what was going to happen in the story. I started this without any plan as to how it would end. So stay with me people! I don't know how many more chapters I'll be plugging out before its over, but I do know that the END IS NEAR. Haha, anyways….T_T;;

~*~*~*~*~

 "Ohh man, what're we gonna do?" 

 "I don't know…" 

 Riku glared at Kir, who had chose the most inopportune time to zone out. The older boy was staring at the lands of Agraba's desert, seemingly entranced by it. Riku knew that the mer-man was probably finding this whole the whole scenery very fascinating, but Riku desperately needed him to concentrate. 

 When Sephiroth had forced them to stay in their Gummi with Yuffie, he also left some instructions for them. The first was to watch over her, and make sure she remained safe. Second, he wanted them to try and do anything possible for Yuffie to regain memories of Squall. Finally, he requested that they contact Cloud and the others at Traverse Town and make sure everything was ok. 

 Riku never imagined he'd be in such a position as trying to get a girl to remember the man she loved. Obviously, he thought, Sephiroth hadn't been thinking clearly when he asked _them._ Kir knew nothing about Squall, and Riku knew only his name and a few useless facts. 

 The silver-haired boy groaned with frustration and banged his head against the dashboard of the Gummi ship. 

 "Can you help me here?" Riku demanded of the blonde. Kir tilted his eyes toward him, frowning for a second. 

 "I think we should go check on her," Kir said finally, smiling suddenly. Riku's eyes narrowed. 

 "We just did that a minute ago you female-crazy perv.," Riku snapped. Kir made a disappointed face at him, and continued to stare out the window again. 

 "Did it hurt?" Kir asked suddenly. 

 "What?" 

 "Being controlled by Ansem." 

 Riku felt an emotion akin to hate as he said that. Riku clenched his fist for a few seconds, closing his aqua-green eyes. 

 "How do you know about that?" 

 Kir watched the way that Riku became rigid as he asked that question. He too, had a run in with Ansem, but not as one would normally suspect. 

 "Sora told me." 

 Riku sighed, angry with his friend for telling the boy. It was a chapter in his life that he was desperately trying to forget, and he was having a hard time doing so when people kept springing questions up at him. 

 "Yeah, it hurts. It puts a physical strain on your body, as well as psychological." 

 "Oh. So…did he mark you with any sign? Ya know, like to show that you're one of his little puppets, like the rest of the Heartless?" 

 Riku could feel suspiciousness creeping up on him. What was with the sudden questions? 

 "No, he left no markings." Riku sighed once more with a resigned look. "None that are visible anyways…"

 Kir stared at him for a little while longer, as if trying to discern if he was telling the truth or not. Riku didn't even blink under the older boy's gaze. Finally satisfied, Kir turned away from him, walking toward Yuffie's room. 

 "Don't get roaming hands," Riku yelled at him as he opened the door. 

 "No promises," Kir smirked, shutting the door behind him. 

 Riku moaned in annoyance, and slammed his head loudly on the control panel yet again. 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 Squall blinked painfully, using his hand to block out a portion of the sun's rays. It was hot as a gorilla's ass (A/N: Sorry for the analogy) and he didn't have much experience dealing with the heat. Sephiroth, despite all attempts to remain completely indifferent, too seemed to be having problems with the warmth. Even Sora, who had stayed in Agraba for quite some time, was battling against the high temperatures. 

 "We're not looking for more flowers are we? Cause I doubt that we'll find any here that aren't fried to a crisp." Sora glanced around, blinking at the people who pushed by them, buying fruits, pottery, and rugs from the merchants on the streets. 

 "No, we're looking for a peddler named Yazim. He's very knowledgeable in medicines of sorts, and has what we're looking for." 

 "Yazim?" Sora asked skeptically. "How do you know him?" 

 "He helped me to locate Cloud and the others at the Coliseum, in return for killing his brother." 

 "You killed his brother?" Sora demanded. "Who the hell would want their brother dead?" 

 "Yazim, obviously. Come on. I don't care about his past, as long as he can help Yuffie," Squall muttered shortly. Sora followed him without a word. He still held Squall in utmost respect, knowing he wouldn't have gotten where he was without the valuable help and advice Squall had given him. 

 Sora walked along behind the older brunette, Sephiroth following behind a few paces. His emerald eyes were narrowed as he glared at the people in the streets, smirking as they scampered away from his murderous gaze. 

 He could _feel_ them here. Who ever had sent the Gummi Heartless after them was very resourceful. This person, or thing, had the ability to create new breeds of Heartless, something that he'd only given Ansem credit for. Clearly, someone was trying to follow in that bastard's footsteps. 

 "You feel it too?" 

 Sephiroth glanced down at the young Keyblade master, an odd emotion rising up. He could still remember clearly when he'd fought the young boy at the Coliseum. It still shocked him how much power was held in such a small body. 

 "Yes." 

 Sora nodded, smiling confidently. Of course, Sephiroth thought, it was easy for him to be so certain. The Heartless, after all, feared the Keyblade. What did Sora have to worry about? 

 "Squall look out!" Sora suddenly yelled, blue eyes widening as a Fat Bandit obscured Squall's path. The Gunblade wielder frowned, angry that his way was blocked. Shifting the Gunblade on one of his shoulders, he ran to the side, and hitched himself up onto a ledge of the building. Looking down at the massive creature, he closed his eyes, reaching out his gloved hand, and murmured "Firaga." 

 The Fat Bandit roared as it was hit with a large fireball, squinting its puny eyes up at the man standing above him. The Fat Bandit sucked it its breath, and unleashed a flow of crimson fire from its mouth. Squall moved deftly out of the way as the Heartless burned its surroundings, making the inhabitants scream and run in terror.  

 A popping noise sounded behind him, and he turned to face a wayward barrel spider. Rolling his eyes, he slashed it across the middle, watching disinterestedly as it shrieked and disappeared. 

 "Arcs Arcanum," Sora yelled down below, and he looked over the ledge and watched as the younger boy glowed a faint tinge of red, slashing through the remaining Bandits with a flurry of attacks. 

 Squall's eyebrows arched. Yeah, he admitted, the boy had definitely gotten better. 

 He leapt down from the building, quickly finishing off any remaining Bandits. He was only hit once by one of their curved swords, but was instantly healed by Sora. 

 "So," Sora said, panting softly. Normally he wouldn't have gotten so tired, but with the incredibly unbearable heat, he was about ready to faint. "What does this Yazim look like?" 

 "Short, long black hair, and deceptive eyes. Usually when you spot him he scurries away. He's a dodgy little louse," Sephiroth informed them, grimacing. 

 "Uhh…." Sora's wonderful vocabulary managed to produce. He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully; his eyes still keen to quickly spot any wandering Heartless. 

 Squall rolled his eyes, and leaned against one of the parapets, taking solace in the measly shade provided by the overhead drapery. He was pretty much indifferent to the temperatures that swept over Traverse Town, but with Agraba, it was hell within itself. 

 "There are a lot of people here," Sora said wonderingly. "Or at least…there was." 

 Most of the vendors and populace had scurried away like rats at the sight of Heartless, and all that remained now were a bunch of scorched walls, heaps of ashes, and a few brave souls that dared to walk out and see what was going on. 

 Despite the fact that there were no people milling around, find Yazim was like trying to find a haystack in a needle. 

 Or needle in a haystack. Sora never bothered to learn those stupid sayings. 

 Squall's eyes were still closed, twitching once in a while from the sweat that tickled his brow. His mind was wandering inappropriately at the moment, and he was either too lazy or absorbed to try and stop it. 

 He remembered walking in the fields, fingering the hydrangeas and wild daises. The wind had always carried a sort of chill from the mountains, but he had welcomed the cool like a second skin. 

 There were a lot of days when he'd walk up there alone, staring at all the people in the streets, examining the castle from far away. Most of the time he went up there with Cloud, although now that he thought of it, he wasn't that close to the blonde at all. He spoke with him during a few short intervals, letting the younger boy follow him for what he had assumed to be admiration and plain stupid curiosity. 

 For the majority of the time he went up there, it was to stay away from Yuffie. He had always had a wary sort of suspicion toward the younger girl, and he hated the way she would sometimes stare at him for long periods of time and follow him without any plausible explanation. 

 Her father had attempted to train him once, but he'd been so volatile back then that Mr. Kisaragi had just given up and let the brunette learn to defend himself. 

 His memories hazed then, until the people were as unclear as a misty morning. He hated the coincidence that whenever he seemed to get a memory of his father and mother, everything seemed to crash and burn. 

 "Squall?" 

 Sora was calling to him, beckoning him to follow. Sephiroth was waiting impatiently beside the smaller boy, eyes trained on Squall. Had he really zoned out that much? 

 He quickly pushed himself off the wall, and followed them into a rickety alleyway, frowning more and more as he went. Crates were toppled here, along with remnants of rotten food lying scattered on the ground. The passageway held a distinct scent of the decayed. 

 Squall pushed his hair out of his face, his attitude turning for bad to worse. How the hell was anybody supposed to live in this cooking pot of a place? 

 "There," Sephiroth hissed softly, pointing to a small hole in the wall that looked too small for even Sora. 

 "What's he, a midget?" Sora muttered sarcastically, coming up to it and peering into it. "This thing is _wayyy_ too small for any human." 

 "The hole is just small," Sephiroth said patiently. "The passage is bigger." 

 Sora eyed him apprehensively, then cautiously slid his head into the ragged hole, instinctively coughing at the moldy odor that hit his nose. "Hello…" he called warily. 

 Sephiroth groaned, giving the small boy's rump a kick. "He's not going to answer you dimwit." 

 Sora growled for the benefit of his ass, and slowly started to wedge himself in, coughing in annoyance as he got stuck on his shoulders. 

 "No **way** am I gonna fit in this," the Keyblade master grumbled, feeling the cold slab of stone bite into his shoulder's sides. "It smells," he added. 

 "What'd you expect, a perfume shop?" 

 "Shut up both of you," Squall growled with venom before the youth could respond. "Sora, get your ass in that hole." 

 "Why don't you try!?" 

 "I would, but it seems that a certain red _something_ is blocking my means of doing so," Squall said sardonically.  

 Sora complained and griped enough for all three of them, and after ten minutes of inane whining and shoving, he managed to wriggle himself through the hole, into what was a surprisingly spacious passage. 

 "It's big," he said, his mouth taking in some unknown stench as he said it. "You can crouch in here, I think."

 Sephiroth instructed him what to do. (Sora, of course, had a few rebellious comments about each direction). Squall and Sephiroth waited patiently outside as the young brunette climbed deeper into the passageway. 

 Clumps of only God-knows-what stuck to his palms, and his shirt was starting to stick to his back with perspiration. The corridor was unbearably hot, and it was making him short of breath. Not only that, it still smelled. 

 His hands traveled and felt along the walls and floor, occasionally feeling a dead rat or bug. He couldn't blame them for collapsing and dying down here; he was starting to think that the same fate would befall him too. 

 He didn't know how long he dragged his legs and hands down that passageway, but by the time he felt as if his knees would shatter from all the work, he saw some light. He realized, with all of the heat and smells distracting him, it had been barely noticeable that he'd been crawling in pitch darkness. 

 He wasn't really desperate to get out of the tunnel; that word had never really applied to him. Anxious sounded more appropriate. Although he wasn't really sure if they meant the same thing or not…

 The light source wasn't as bright as a natural light; rather, it was a dull glow, like a lamp. As he neared it, he noticed that the light was extremely dim, as if the source was far below from where he was. 

 "Holy-" he muttered, realizing that he was exactly right. The passage way-and he knew he wasn't exaggerating-just _disappeared_. One minute he was clawing though this dank corridor, and the next, it was gone. It was like he had been crawling through a bottle and someone had sliced it straight through the middle. 

 Sora looked down from about ten feet up. There was a small bed, a basket of what he assumed was food, and several oil lamps lining the circular room. A large bag was placed directly below to finish off the room. _'Probably full of stolen jewelry.'_

 In the middle of the room, stood a man with small, beady eyes that were filled with sickening mirth at the boy that was suspended above him. Sora scrunched up his nose, and let the Keyblade slide out of it's sheath slightly, showing to Yazim that he was no errant teen.

 "What do you want?" 

 Sora, upon hearing him speak, immediately related him to a snake. He said his words quickly, in a jumbled mess, and seemed to hiss every syllable. His eyes too, betrayed any truth that he might've said, and were as narrow as a boa's.

 "Cordian root," he said, hoping that he remembered the name correctly. 

 "Cordian…" Yazim trailed off, turning sideways, but still watching him out of the corner of his eyes. The look he gave him sent shivers up the Keyblade wielder's spine. "What's your business with such an exceptional root?" 

 "That's _my_ business, and mine alone," Sora countered quickly, inwardly smiling at his quick wit. Yazim seemed very disgruntled about his lack of an answer. 

 "You won't tell, I won't give." 

 Conniving little bastard.

 "It's for a friend-sick-friend." 

 "Why should Yazim care?" 

 "WELL YAZIM SHOULD CARE!" he yelled, angry that he couldn't just jump down and give the rat a piece of his mind. His fear of jumping from such a height was nearly petrifying.

 "Come down…we'll have a drink." He shook a leather sack that made sloshing noises.

 "I don't want to have a drink," Sora sneered. He imagined that there was wine in that sack; he wasn't exactly fond of the bitter liquid. 

 "Good. I didn't want to share anyways." Yazim ignored the way Sora flared his nostrils like a bull and sat down casually on the bed, his short legs barely touching the floor on the high cot. "Who sent you, boy?" 

 "Sephiroth," Sora growled like a wet cat. As if to reinforce that statement, a trail of sweat tickled down his cheek, dripping mutely onto the floor below him. He swore he was going to make his own pond in a second. 

 "Really…so the notorious mass-murderer decides to show after all these years." 

 "Give me the root," Sora commanded, shaking his head in anger as more sweat tickled his body. 

 "Not yet boy." 

 Sora's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what to do in a situation like this, but his mind was clear about one thing. 

 Cats and snakes **did not** mix.

 "My name is Sora," he started slowly. "I'm the Keyblade master." _'OooOOooo…something to put on my resume.'_  "I am _requesting_ that you permit me to have the Cordian root, for my friend is dying of a rare disease and doesn't have much time. I need this root within an hour, if not less. So please give it to me OR I'LL BE FORCED TO KICK YOU GODDAMNED ASS!"

 Yazim cawed in shock as Sora leapt down from the ledge, hating the painful shock that he got from it. He hoped nothing was broken. 

 Really, he was turning into Yuffie.

 "I'm tired of playing your games, Yazim. It's hot in here, and it smells. So just give me the root and I won't hurt you."

 "You won't be able to hurt me anyhow, brainless brat." 

 "Wha-"

~*~*~*~*~

 "He's taking too long." 

 "So what else is new?" 

 Squall managed to cool the embers raging in his mind long enough to give Sephiroth a neutral glare. With Yuffie being sick, everyone seemed to be on edge with his or her tempers. What he hated about it was that he was supposed to be the only one with that problem. 

 "Is there any other way to get in?" 

 "There is this one door that he usually blocks with the trinkets he'd swiped, but I have no idea how to find the opening." 

 Squall arched his brow, trying to picture Sephiroth shoving himself through the miniscule hole. The general watched his face contort and answered his unasked question.

 "I kept blasting down walls until I found him." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie looked up, smiling softly at the sight of Kir. He was very attractive, that she couldn't deny. She would've been perfectly willing to just give in and admit that she might begin to have feelings for him but…

 Something was holding her back. 

 She ignored the whiny voice in her head, letting him sit on the bed next to her. He was muttering to himself about something, and Yuffie couldn't help but find it cute. 

 Ow. 

 Stupid voice wouldn't leave her alone. 

 She wanted to hold something, she realized. Her hands never ceased to stop moving; now they were fidgeting endlessly. She usually took her "fidgety-ness" as signs of being nervous. So why, she thought with a surprisingly reddening face, was she nervous? 

 She remembered clearly of how he said that she was pretty back in Atlantica; it was that same memory that caused her to attempt to hide her face. 

_ 'Do you feel that? There's something missing from that memory, but you just don't know what it is. Does it bother you that you only see half of the truth?'_

_ 'No, not at all.'_

Lies, lies, lies.

 She blocked out her what now seemed to be useless summon, and tried to turn in to Kir's face. 

 His hand came up slowly to rest on her head. A million thoughts ran through her. Did he care that it was all tangled and oily? Was she even pretty to him anymore?

 Did he like her?

 She nibbled on her lip, taking off a layer or so as she did so. Tentatively she let her fingers crawl their way onto his hand, feeling the long and strong fingers beneath her own weak ones. 

 For such a simple gesture, he looked quite alarmed. His eyes widened, and she caught flickers of things behind them, things that had better been kept a secret. 

 She saw memories filled with angst and pain and anger. The color of the emotions skewed the pictures beyond any comprehension, until they seemed to meld together and eat each other up. Fascination wasn't what she felt when she pulled away her hand, and the emotions instantly died down. 

 The hell was that? 

 Kir shook his head as if angry with her. He rubbed his eyes, reminding her of that guy-what was his name again?-Squall. It unnerved her to know that they were alike in ways. 

 He looked at her then, not the way he normally did, but as if he was about to show her some long-forgotten secret. His hand came up, his pointer finger resting on her forehead. She wanted to scream at that moment, because before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. 

 The thing that had been holding her back before was now burning her with matches. Why couldn't she be with a guy without feeling completely guilty? 

 He pulled her closer, hands stroking her back. She wanted to be near and far at the same time. The pain was nearly overwhelming her, but so was the passion. 

 "GET OFF OF HER!" 

 If she had to voice to scream, she would've at that moment. 

 Cry too.

 "Woah buddy-" 

 Squall didn't let Kir finish. Yuffie watched in horror as the older man lifted the blonde clear off the ground, suspended only by the flimsy collar of his borrowed shirt. Squall hadn't been in a good mood to begin with, and seeing the two of them-

 _'Calm down Leonhart,'_ his mind grated to him. Couldn't and wouldn't, his body seemed to answer. Kir had-he trusted the little bastard-he-he….

 Squall couldn't even think straight anymore, his mind one gyrating hole of anger. Somewhere between the turmoil, he had known this would happen. He knew that it would've been unwise to leave Yuffie with Kir and Riku, but there hadn't been anyone else…

 "She doesn't remember you," Kir opened his mouth, and Squall had a sudden instinct to close it with his fist. "Don't take your an-"

 Again, Kir was brusquely cut off as he was thrown against the wall. His head hit it loudly, and for a moment Squall's anger depleted a little, to be replaced by worry. It was covered up once more though, as the younger boy stumbled to his feet, and now he too, seemed pissed. 

 _'Stop it,'_ Yuffie wanted to yell-she too angry-if only for not being able to voice herself. She knew that Kir was probably talking about her sudden amnesia of Squall, judging on the enraged look on the brunette's face. 

 "Get outta here before I decide to kill you," Squall said, no trace of lies in his voice. With all of the resentment he had built up over the few minutes, he had no doubt in his mind that he would do it. Squall watched Kir's expression; watched as he left the room without a word. For some reason, the younger boy's lack of an answer made him feel guilty. 

 He couldn't bear to turn and face her, so instead he chose the cowardly way and stalked out of the room, glad that Kir was nowhere in sight. He couldn't even remember why the fuck he'd gone in there in the first place now. 

 Walking back into the city gave him some dull reminder of why. Riku and Sora stood there, panting like two overworked dogs. A small black puddle lay pooled near their feet, the remains of what was left of the parasitic Yazim. Apparently, wanting your brother murdered was a prefect feast for the Heartless. 

 "Got it," Sora managed to cough, holding up a gnarled root in his hand. 

 "Had to fight hell for it," Riku puffed, supporting himself on his thighs. "That lil' midget was like a man-eater." 

 Squall said nothing, mind still bubbling with thoughts of how to dissect Kir. He snatched the root from Sora's hands, heart steeled against any expectation they might've had for getting any thanks. They really didn't matter to him anymore. 

 "Get back in the ship," he barked shortly, walking back toward his own. "We're going into Monstro." 

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie clutched her blankets weakly, trying to sort out what had just happened. A huge hammer of guilt kept pounding at the back of her skull. She was so nervous for Kir…

 But she also hated him too. Which, she had to admit, was really stupid, because a few minutes ago she had sworn that she loved him. The disease was making her so confused and she was just about ready to give up with both parties. That is, herself, and everyone else. 

 _'Kamikiri,'_ she whimpered, reaching out with her mind. _'I'm…scared.'_

No answer. Where was he? She was starting to panic now. It was like being trapped in a sound proof box for a magic show. She wouldn't know when the swords would coming slicing through, or if they would ever come at all. 

 _'Kamikiri? Please answer. Please?'_

She didn't want to cry any more that she had already, but she was seriously contemplating doing it. It frustrated her beyond reason that she was alone! 

 _'I don't want to be alone…don't want to be-'_

She coughed, hard enough to squeeze the air out of her lungs and create an unbelievable pain in her side. She hacked a few more times, expecting it to subside so she could suck in some oxygen. Unfortunately, it didn't, and she continued to cough uncontrollably. 

 _'Stop,'_ she thought desperately. There was no one to help her now; if something happened, she might as well die here and now. 

 With what little will power she had, she clamped her mouth shut, forcing the coughs down. It took so much effort that her eyes began to water. It was like trying to hold off an army with one man-impossible. Before she had any chance to suck in some air through her nose, she broke out in coughs again. 

 _'Yuffie!'_

Kamikiri was screaming in her mind now, something that shocked her. He never screamed. That new revelation paled in comparison to Yuffie's pain though. She was clutching her sides in a frantic attempt to stop. Today, Fate and Lady Luck were apparently not on her side.

 Blood. 

 She tasted the metallic liquid as it threw itself up from her throat, staining her teeth. It splattered on her bed sheets, dripping down her chin. 

 She was throwing up blood. 

 _'YUFFIE!_'' 

 She wanted to tell him to stop yelling so badly, but she couldn't get her mouth to function correctly. She was torn between trying to breathe now and spitting out blood. With the coughs now gone, she opted for breathing through her nose, then spitting out blood onto her beds sheets. She'd obviously have to change them later.

 The door opened softly, as if Squall expected to be attacked the next moment. He had a remorseful look on his face; albeit, that was quickly replaced by concern and downright horror when he saw the reddish maroon substance everywhere.

 She assumed he was cursing pretty badly now, and it brought a sad sort of smile to her stained lips. She supposed that was his way of showing he cared.

 Not caring about the blanket-just like her-he used the edge of it to wipe off most of the blood from her face. He took a glass cup-the same one she had dropped earlier-and tipped it into her mouth. The face she made upon seeing the damnable cup was not lost on either of them. 

 Yuffie couldn't help but watch as she gargled the water, and spit out the now pink liquid back into the cup. Squall made a small face at this, but just shrugged it off and walked off without a word. The ninja got a creepy feeling that he'd left her again, but before her anguish could begin, he returned with a towel, and a small plate of food.

 'At least my nose still works,' she thought, as she smelled the scent of the microwaved (A/N: What do you mean that's not a word?!) food. She cast a dismal look at the man in front of her though when she realized that he was holding the only utensils.

 She reached her hands out, like a child would for a hug. He arched a brow, and shook his head. Pouting, she pointed to the fork and spoon in his hands, but she was again denied. 

 'Ahh!' she opened her mouth, making faces and sticking out her tongue like a dying animal. She vaguely remembered a story about a friend of her fathers. Whenever he didn't get what he wanted, he would bang his head on things. As she recalled, she had some pretty wild images of him, until she was told that was only when he was a child. 

 Normally, out of pure stupidity and curiousness, she would've tried it. At her present state, she knew she'd end up unconscious if she delivered such treatment to her skull. So she settled on lying down on the bed and pouting.

 "You want this?" Squall asked, producing the fork and spoon in front of her face. She made a sloppy snatch at it, but he pulled it away at last minute. She thrashed in frustration for a bit, starting to hate him again. He was being a meanie!

 "Answer me this," he said, looking her straight in the eye. She could feel him breathing on her cheeks; he was so close. He was talking, but she couldn't hear a word he was saying. He noticed her blank look, and for some reason, his anger flared again. "I know you can hear me." 

 Was he nuts? Yuffie thought. He just kept talking, and she didn't hear anything. Not that she could tell him that. He looked angry again. For some reason, she hated that. She liked him better when he was happy…or whatever he was. 

 _'He says he knows you can hear him.'_

 _'What?! I can't hear him, the moron!'_

_ 'Is he a moron? Tell me Yuffie…**can** you hear him?'_

Yuffie rubbed her forehead, angry at the stupid insect for doubting her. _'No!'_ she mentally screamed, than shielded herself from any other objections. 

 The Gunblade wielder paced the room, torn between insanity and blind genius. He seemed to be leaning more toward insanity every moment. He knew it was a wanton act to try and pretend like Yuffie could actually hear him. In all obviousness, his babbling wasn't going to make her un-deaf.

 Ironic. The man who never talked and listened to anyone wanted-desperately wanted-a deaf person to hear him out.

 "YUFFIE!" he yelled loudly, surprising himself. Not even he had heard himself like that in a near century. Yuffie of course didn't hear a thing, but she did jump. She had literally felt the wall shake when he did that. She couldn't tell if he was angry now. Which was pretty lame because he looked really irate. What she couldn't figure out is _why._

 "You have two days to live," he stated, starting to pace. Yuffie watched him say a few more things, jumping again as he slammed his hands onto the bed, staring straight into her pupil-less orbs. "TALK DAMMIT!" 

 He must've seen the tears beginning to brim on her eyes because he suddenly took on a look of remorse, then left the room without a word. Again again again! His stupid "silence leaves" were driving her up the walls. 

 It never really occurred to her that it wouldn't matter had he bothered to say something.

~*~*~*~*~

 A little mind in his head told him to give up, but of course, he refused to do that. He also refused to listen to any of the little voices that had made a home in his head. God only knows where they all came from. 

 No amount of training, screaming, or killing could get his mind off of her. She was still beautiful to him, despite her sudden horrific change. He had been meaning to tell her that, but then he'd thought, what's the use? She couldn't hear it, and she probably wouldn't believe him even if she could. 

 It was pathetic how badly he wanted to cry at that moment. He'd been near that about an hour ago but damn, this whole escapade deserved some tears. Not that he was one to admit that anyways. 

 No, he wouldn't cry. Somehow, it would be like giving up. Saying that he was crying because yes, she was truly going to die, and that was all he had left to do. 

 He really wished he'd stop talking to himself. 

 How long was it to Monstro? These random thoughts were whizzing around in his head so fast that it was hard to keep a hand on one of them. 

 _'2 hours, 120 minutes, a million years….'_

He groaned, deciding that he needed some coffee. He stalked out of his room, pouring the scalding liquid into a mug over the small counter set up in the hallway. Not bothering to put any other ingredients, he downed the cup in three gulps. Regardless, the bitter and burning liquid did nothing to soothe his troubles. 

 "How long is it to Monstro?" he snapped at Sephiroth, who was manning the controls. Sephiroth snorted like it was some asinine question, and said in a somewhat annoyed fashion, "At the speed that you insisted on, an hour and a half." 

 "Hn." 

 "The engines going to burn out quicker if we keep traveling at this speed." 

 "You think I care?" 

 Sephiroth sighed, listening to the man slam the room to his door. The sound didn't really bother Yuffie in the slightest, but he wished the brunette would hold some consideration for him. Although, he had to admit, Squall was probably harboring some massive murder impulses toward the general. If it wasn't for him, Yuffie wouldn't be in the position she was in now. 

 He sighed again, but only for his own sorrow. He glared at the controls for a second, deciding to up the speed one notch. It never seemed fast enough though. His guilt was still there. 

~*~*~*~*~

 _'It hurts Kamikiri. It hurts.'_

Yuffie cried softly in her bed, letting the tears stain her cheeks. She felt so torn. She was being ripped at the seams. Physically, emotionally, mentally. The pain in her body rivaled the burning in her heart. Both were enough for her to want to kill herself. But at the same time, she was scared as hell to die. Her feelings, her loneliness, her pain, made her mind and body feel like they were being yanked this way and that, until she finally broke. 

 _'I want to talk again. I want to remember.'_

She had three days to live, and she was bordering close to two. Even if, by some miracle, manage to get cured, these memories would always be there. The stark horror of waking up in the morning knowing you're going to die. The memories coming back to her when she looked at a hospital and the sickly. She didn't know if it was worse to die or to live haunted. 

 _'Is it worth fighting for?'_

She wanted to go back to when she was little. When her parents were still alive, and everything was ok. When she could dream her days away, play in the fields, and listen to the waterfalls. She might've been quieter then, she thought. But she got louder as she became older. It was to mask her insecurity of being left behind. She remembered constantly following Aerith and Cloud and….

 Blank. 

 'Why? Why is there always this blank space there? There's a void, and it hurts to not know what was there…' 

For some reason, a picture of Sora flying came into her mind. It was a ridiculous image, but she had always envied him for that. He'd float around Traverse Town in his spare time, and she'd constantly wish she could do the same. What was it that he said? 

 Faith, trust, and pixie dust. 

 She had none, but for once, she wanted to believe she did. 

 She closed her eyes and prayed, hummed a song, did anything to make her feel like "something." _I wanna see, I wanna see,_ she repeated over and over in her mind. She didn't want to be stuck like this. She desperately wanted to be back to the way she was before. 

 She stopped trying to believe in that moment, and opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out, but she didn't care. She could hear herself in her mind. She thrashed her weak body around, screaming, thinking, cursing. Her mouth actually felt dry from being left open for so long. 

 Was Kamikiri there? He might be telling her to stop. She wished that she knew how to summon him. He seemed so useless. She raged and ranted some more, until finally, after a hell of a long time, she felt something. She didn't know what it was, but she took hold of it instantly. It took her a moment to realize what it was. 

 "Squall?" she croaked. Her voice was raspy and broken down, but it was_ there._ "Squall?" she repeated, louder this time. Her voice held the resemblance of a frog when she did that. "SQUALL!" 

 She was crying now, for the millionth time in her friggin' life. She remembered him, and she felt like screaming it to the world. 

 "Yuffie?" Squall stared at her for a moment, his mind doing a double take. She was staring straight at him; her beautiful brown orbs warm with welcome. She looked so…elated. 

 "I love you," she whispered, then slowly opened her arms up to him. 

 Yuffie closed her eyes, his warmth driving her into a euphoric state. Her clutched her tightly, and she could truly admit that she was happy.

 "I love you too," he murmured. _Yes_, she thought, _I can hear you_.  

 ~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: ::Sheepish grin:: Ok, how long did this one take? Hehe, my pathetic excuse is a bunch of crap to do and a fat ass writer's block. 'Nuff said. 


	21. Infidelity at Gunpoint

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: I own any original characters (obviously) and the other Heartless, stuff for the cure, and any other wacko things I forgot to mention.

Chapter Twenty-One: Infidelity at Gunpoint 

He held her tightly, not willing to let go. She felt so frail, and he felt so helpless. How was he supposed to save her? Half of this stupid trip he was in the dark. Even now, he had no idea what the objective of getting all of these ingredients was, besides completing the cure. But what the heck did that mean? It felt too simple. Get the components, get the cure and WHAM! Yufffie is ok and everything is just fine and dandy. He felt like this whole thing had been too _easy._

 Easy? His mind taunted him. Fighting those Heartless, fighting those **things **is not easy. He knew, if he spoke that aloud, everyone would think he'd gone loony. Even Sora was huffing and puffing from all the effort of this journey. He didn't even want to think about how difficult this was on Yuffie. 

 "Kiss me." 

 Squall let go of her slightly, watching her. She hadn't asked it gently. She had demanded it, as if she would die if she didn't get it. She just sat there waiting for him to comply, and he wondered if he actually should. She was _dying_ for Christ's sakes, and for some reason it just felt wrong. 

 Oh hell. 

 He slid his hand behind the nape of her neck, pulling her in smoothly. She could be as screechy and demanding as she wanted, but it was out of the question for him to be so rough. She giggled slightly when he put his lips on hers, and she could feel the vibrations of it clattering his teeth. She asks him to kiss her, and now she couldn't stop laughing?

 "Make up your mind," he murmured, kissing her harder. She, in turn, laughed even louder. If you can imagine, it was difficult trying to kiss someone whose mouth is gaping open and screaming with laughter. "What is the problem?" 

 "Your voice sounds so…" she smiled, reaching over and hugging his arm. "Sexy." 

 "Uh-huh," Squall said in a disbelieving tone. _'That's right Leonhart. Act like it's all ok.'_

 Yuffie made a sound that Squall could only describe as a snort. "I can record it for you." 

 "I don't want to hear my own voice Yuffie." She was tracing his chest with her fingers, running lazy circles over his abs. It was driving him to the epitome of insanity. Did she know what she was doing? How it was making him lose control? 

 "Who wouldn't? I think mine is damn hot," Yuffie said with an impish smile. Squall smirked, stroking her face. 

 "Yeah, I find the whole bullfrog imitation really attractive," he murmured, moving so he could plant a kiss on her neck. He grimaced slightly when he smelled the blood and vomit on her clothes and sheets. "You need a bath." 

 "Oh thanks. I've always wanted to be told I was stinky." 

 "I didn't say that." 

 "You indirectly did." 

 Squall kissed her to shut her up, and she pulled him closer, moaning a little. Squall's conscience told him now wasn't the time, but when had he ever listened to that _thing?_

 "Seriously, you need a bath." 

 "Gawd Squallie you are **such**a _romanticist._" Yuffie pouted against his leathery lips. "Can't we just sit here and ravish each other for a sec?" 

 Squall was seriously contemplating doing a lot _more_ than that, and it took a hell of a lot to talk himself out of it. "Maybe later." Yuffie didn't even try to hide the mischievous gleam in her eye when he said that. 

 "Ok! Bath time it is." She held out her arms, and he picked her up, carrying her out of the room. As Squall started to close the bathroom door, Yuffie remembered Sephiroth sitting at the controls. 

 "Hi Sephiroth!" 

 The general looked up from where he was drinking his cup of bitter coffee.

 "Squall an' me are gonna have sex in the bathtub!" 

 Out went the coffee. 

 Sephiroth rubbed his head, groaning. "Tell me I didn't hear that…" 

~*~*~*~*~

 Squall dropped her fully dressed into the bathtub, glaring at her. "What was that for?" 

 "Aww come on, I know you wanna." 

 The brunette eyed the ninja like she was lying. Finally, he said in a very matter-of-fact tone, "Just because I think about it doesn't mean you have to tell anyone."

 "Sorry. I least I know why you were moaning in your sleep last night." 

 "Last night you were deaf." 

 Yuffie folded her arms across her chest. "It was a joke." 

 "I didn't say it wasn't." 

 The shinobi gripped her head in frustration. "AHH! Stop messing with my head." She paused for a moment, realizing her voice was going away again. She cleared her throat a few times to get rid of the "Bullfrog-ness". 

 "So, what now?" 

 Squall gave her "the look". "Take a bath, obviously."  

 "Ok." She proceeded to sit there as if the water would just start spewing out of the pipe. Squall was convincing himself to just leave her that way. He really didn't know why he had told her to take a bath, aside from smelling like death. Taking baths meant taking off clothes, and he didn't think he could handle seeing her naked. _Well_, he thought, _I could, just not in an appropriate way._

 "Are you gonna…like…scrub me and stuff?" 

 Squall's eyes widened for a moment. Could she not keep her mouth shut? Damn his photographic thoughts. 

 "Not if you can do it yourself." 

 Yuffie smiled and let her arms go slack at her side, acting like she was paralyzed. "Whoopsies…looks like I can't."

 "Yuf-"

 "Please? I'm sure you can keep it in your pants for a while." 

 "YUFFIE!"

 The ninja smiled sheepishly, and started to take off her top. Squall groaned at the predicament he had gotten himself into. The rustling of clothes being thrown on the floor was far from easing his mind. 

 "I'm going to go get your pills," Squall said lamely. Unfortunately, that was the best excuse he could come up with. He moved out of the room before she could even protest. It was the half-truth, right? It would come in handy if she started to cough while she was in there. 

 He gripped the pills and the glass in his hand. His feet weren't willing to move. He could either stay here and be safe from getting "excited", or just leave Yuffie to do something inevitably stupid. 

 The ninja smiled when she heard the door open again. She had filled the tub waiting for him, and was currently sitting in there stark naked. She had originally wanted him to come in with the water still running, as the noise fills of the space that would surely ensure between them. But now, she was stuck sitting there, with only words to make them feel at ease. 

 "I've never been nude in front of anyone before," Yuffie admitted, embarrassed. She was never proud of her body. She always felt like she was fighting with it; it just never cooperated with her in the womanly department. Sometimes she had to wonder if she was really born a guy. 

 "I didn't think so," Squall said in a flat voice. Yuffie frowned and made little swirls in the water. She was crunched up into a ball. She was never open about sexuality or anything like that. She couldn't just spread out and expect Squall to just come over to her. She completely wouldn't blame him if he just ran out of the room now. It was even more so now that she was sick. She knew how thin she looked, how pale and ghostly. 

 "Is that coldness in you voice making up for the heat in other places?" The shinobi asked, although no joking vigor was behind it. 

 "You shouldn't kid around when your heart isn't into it. It makes you sound…apathetic." Squall sat on the fuzzy rug next to the bathtub, reaching up and stroking her cheek. "You aren't ugly Yuffie," he continued. "You never were to me." 

 "I-I…I know that. It's just…it's hard, ya know? I can't be…honest about myself like that. I can't just act like everything is ok, because it's not." 

 "Just," Squall couldn't believe what he said next. "Pretend." 

 Yuffie looked up at him, and he saw something he hadn't seen in a while. Hope. It sparked something of his own inside of him, and he silently embraced it. It was about all they had left. 

 Squall handed her a small bucket, instructing her to wet her hair. She did so while he found the bottle and shampoo and started to lather it onto his hands. 

 "I remember my mom doing this to me," Yuffie started suddenly. She had that look in her eyes again. The one he had realized to associate with her reminiscing. "She'd sit me down and-" 

 She stopped as abruptly as she had started, and for a moment her eyes went blank. Squall had this premonition of fear, and he felt as if she was precluding something. "Never mind," she said quickly, staring into nothing. "It's nothing." She went on muttering. 

 The Gunblade wielder sighed, trying to ignore that little occurrence. He knew ever since she had gotten the venereal disease, she hadn't really been in the right mind. She would act fine, but then she'd suddenly zone out, and not return for a few minutes, or even up to an hour. He always forced them away though, thinking it better to not bring them up. But he just couldn't this time. 

 "What was that about?" Yuffie looked at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about, and then let out her own audible sigh. 

 "Nothing. I'll just scare myself trying to understand what it was." 

 He didn't really believe her-never did on that matter- but he shook it off. There really was nothing he could do about a problem that wasn't presenting itself. 

 Yuffie yelped when she felt his hands gently massage her head, rubbing in the soap. She made a small laugh at his look of concentration, but decided not to annoy him…yet. 

 "This is nice," the shinobi said after he had finished, and while she was washing it from her hair. "I feel like a kid. 'Cept with bigger boobs." 

 Squall groaned at the mention of her chest. It was hard enough working on her hair without having his eyes wander. 

 "Can you not talk about your body parts right now?" 

 "Why? Is _it_ gettin' a little rocky?" 

 Her reference to the organ that she had dubbed _it _was making him quite uncomfortable. He really didn't want his pants getting tight at a moment like this. 

 "Shut up," he muttered, the only thing he could come up with. He took out the conditioner and squeezed a glob of it onto her hair. 

 "Oh eww…why'd you have to do that?" 

 "Payback," he said simply. If she was going to make him uncomfortable, he was going to return the gesture. 

 Yuffie smiled, and splashed him a little. She had still been curled into a ball the whole time he had washed her hair, so she got a bare feeling when she splashed him with her arm. He glared at her, thankfully not letting his gaze wander to her half exposed chest. 

 "Uh Squall?" she asked finally. "If we're all embarrassed about this now, how am I going to wash my body?" 

 Squall eyed her with a thoughtful look. "Who said I was doing that?" 

 "You promised!" 

 He snorted. "I did no such thing!" 

 Yuffie splashed him again, and this time he retaliated, taking the bucket and dumping in on her legs. She yelled, taking the bucket from his hands and throwing it at his head. He grunted, grabbing the arm that had thrown the bucket, effectively stopping any of its movements in his grip. The young ninja stopped laughing for a moment, quieting to stare into his eyes with a serene look. 

 Squall leaned over and kissed her softly, before going back to work on her hair. He slid the smooth substance over her short brown tresses, listening to her making contented noises. 

 Something was wetting his pant leg.

 "Yuffie," he said warningly. 

 "What?" she asked innocently. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not doing anything." 

 "Like hell you aren't," he growled, and he started to tickle her sides. She yelped, trying to stop his hands. 

 "Squall don't I'm-"

 "What? Embarrassed? I told you, you're beautiful." 

 "It's not that!" she snapped, although she new it was exactly that. She was scared that he'd see what she really was, and not like what he saw. 

 "What then?" 

 "Doesn't matter," she murmured, inching over and grabbing a sponge from the small ledge beside her. Squall ended up biting his tongue in an attempt to stop from mimicking her. She sounded like a broken record. 

 She was lathering soap onto the sponge when she stopped completely, hand trembling. She jolted as if stung by something, eyes going wide. Squall reached out a grabbed her arm, demanding what was wrong. Surprise filled her eyes when she stared at him, and she quickly went back to what she was doing, like nothing had ever happened. 

 "Doesn't matter," she muttered over and over again, but he could see she was nervous now. Her arms were tired just from working the sponge and soap back and forth and all she wanted to do was sleep. 

 "Squall," she finally whimpered. "I want to rest." 

 He looked at her, still half covered in soap and conditioner, and nodded. He swiftly helped her wash off the remaining suds, and helped to pick her up in all her naked glory. Yuffie shivered as he held her close while struggling to grab a towel. 

 "Cold," she stuttered, feeling the frigidness of being in space. 

 "Here," Squall silently cursed as he fought to wrap the towel around her. Naturally, he got a pretty wide view of her body, but he wasn't really thinking about that. 

 _'Liar'_, his mind taunted him. He almost growled when he felt a heat across his cheeks. Christ, he was twenty-five years old, and he did **not** blush!

 "I'm w-wet," she slurred, gripping at his white tee. She was felt like a seal-slippery, and downright soaked. She desperately wanted to curl into her bed and lull herself to sleep. It was so damn wintry up here; she could practically feel the water freezing into icicles on her skin. 

 "I'll dry you off in the room," he commented, his throat suddenly dry. He really didn't like how he felt as if this was leading up to something….and he certainly didn't appreciate the implications of what he was saying. 

 He carried her bridal style into her-their-room, laying her toweled form onto the floor. She voiced her protests, but quieted as she watched him removed the sheets. She waited silently on the fuzzy rug, smiling at the reason she had been so quiet. 

 She got a good view of his ass.

~*~*~*~*~

 Squall shoved the heap of odorous blankets into one of the back seats of the cockpit. Cid, for some obvious reasons, didn't think the ship would need a washer and dryer, and the seats were the only place large enough to hold the bundle of bedspreads. 

 "Is it safe to go in here?" 

 Squall looked up, staring at the general who was pointing a little warily at the bathroom door. 

 "We didn't do anything in there," the brunette said calmly. Sephiroth smirked, taking the chance to edge open the door. 

 "Sure." 

 Squall grunted, going over to a cabinet and started to pull out random sheets. Sephiroth conveniently hadn't left yet. 

 "She'll become paralyzed soon," Sephiroth stated, sobering up. Squall froze. 

 "What?" 

 "The next step after amnesia and blindness is paralysis and insomnia. She's already started to cough up blood, and the eventually the loss of blood- hemoglobin, plasma and what not-will send her into a shock." 

 "Why are you telling me this?" Squall demanded. He wanted to wring the damn general's neck. 

 "I saw the look on your face when she forgot you. I'm just telling you so you won't look like you'd just had your makeup kit stolen." 

 Squall emitted a feral noise in the back of his throat at the comment. Why did everyone think just because he had long hair that he liked to wear makeup? He stared at the pile of folded sheets in his arms, glancing in the cabinet and picking out a last fuzzy blanket, with little gummi's on it. He really didn't want to know where it came from. He took once glance back at Sephiroth. 

 "I'll talk to you later," Squall begrudgingly said. Sephiroth made no sign that he had heard him, but just moved soundlessly into the bathroom. The dark-haired man made a 'pffing' sound, and returned to Yuffie.

 He found her snoring lightly, twitching like a dog would. Not really knowing if that was a good sign or not, he just let it be. He promptly covered the bed again, relaxing only when the scent of the newly washed bedspreads covered up the old stench. At least he wouldn't have to hold his breathe if he decided to sleep in her room. 

 She was muttering something now, and Squall smiled, despite his stoic demeanor. He kissed her head, laying her down into the soft down of the bed. He used another towel that he had fortunately remembered to take and dried off her body, quickly wrapping her in the gummi blanket he had found. Once he was satisfied with her position and state, he kissed her again, on the lips this time, and left to converse with Sephiroth. 

 The general himself was taking a shower, as ironic as that was. He had hurried a bit just to get some info out of the man and he was busy? 

 "Hmph." He situated himself at the controls, drumming his fingers nonchalantly on the metal panel. He glanced at random levers and procedural looking graphs and locators. His eyes settled on the arsenal system. He always had this boyish need to mess with the damn thing. He could remember perfectly well a few times he had went overboard and almost ended up capsizing their own ship, as stupid as it sounded. He was only seventeen, ok?

 What was the time, anyways? He realized that he didn't even know where a clock was, and he certainly didn't have a watch himself. He'd thought that Cid would have enough brains to shove one right on the control panel…obviously not. 

 He tapped the screen that blinked 'Auto-Pilot' in neon green letters. It had been nearly a day by now…only two days left. 

 Squall's mood worsened when he thought of that. There just wasn't enough time. 

 "Took you long enough," he said to himself, turning to face the general, fully dressed with a long curtain of dripping wet hair. 

 "Like you wouldn't take that long trying to change in that puny bathroom," Sephiroth retorted, seating himself in the seat diagonally and back from the brunette. "Two minutes," he said absently. 

 "What?" 

 "Two minutes before we land." 

 "Where's the damn time in here." 

 "There isn't." 

 Squall groaned, rubbing his eyes. Of course, Sephiroth would have some weird way to know exactly when the ship landed. "What'll happen to Yuffie?" 

 "She'll stay here under the supervision of someone." Sephiroth looked at him intently. "I think you should." Squall looked like he was going to say something, but Sephiroth stopped him. "I'm serious. Sora's skill is required more than yours. I can take the two brats with me, and you can stay and care for her." He stopped staring straight ahead, a blank look overcoming his chiseled features. "Plus, we still don't know how and why the Heartless returned. With only two days for her to live, we're running short on time." 

 "I know that." Squall got up a paced, even as he saw the auto pilot sign blink off out of the corner of his eye. He was momentarily distracted when he saw no planet. "Where-" 

 He didn't know if seeing a whale swimming in space was the freakiest thing in the universe, but for him, it took the cake. He had to grip onto one of the chairs for him to remain balanced as the creature swallowed them whole. He had to admit, he was forced to close his eyes for most of the way down. You would too if you were going down this things throat!

 "You ok?" 

 Squall snorted, but his stomach didn't feel too steady. "Why wouldn't I be?" 

 He opened the hatch door, walking onto a soft, pink, squishy mass just in time to see Sora's ship being hurtled into the whale's stomach. It landed onto one of the many wooden platforms in the mammal's massive digestive organ. Sora came out a few seconds later, looking perfectly fine. Riku just looked pale. 

 Squall stared down at the water that went well over his head. He didn't trust it enough to actually swim in it; and it was a good thing he'd never have too. Sora had no problem with it though, because the next minute, he dove from the platform, leaving Riku to decide whether to stay up there or jump into the greenish liquid too. 

 "Great," Riku muttered incoherently, jumping feet first into the water. He had been planning on just using Sora for leverage when he flew, but he wasn't prepared for actually going into water with what he assumed was mixed with some pretty foul stuff. 

 Sephiroth waited for the soaking boys to come over to him. He himself had to wonder why the hell Sora didn't just choose to glide over. He quickly briefed what they had to do, his voice strict when he said he didn't want them to mess around with anything…or him for that matter. 

 Sora waved Squall off just as he stepped inside the ship. He gave a half wave back, then shut the doors tight. He went to Yuffie's room and stared down at her for a second, before gently climbing in with her. He was tired. 

~*~*~*~*~

 "They're not answering," Cloud said, throwing the device back onto the seat in disgust. Aerith smiled in a comforting way, picking it up and fiddling with it herself. They were still in Traverse Town, having decided that it was the safest place. It had the weakest Heartless, and as long as they sat in the Gummi, they were safe. 

 "We can always try again later," Aerith said supportively. She glanced back at the quiet red head. She hadn't said a word since she'd profusely admitted it was all her fault. The Keyblade in question was laying between the aisles of seats, the vibration having been annulled by the covering of clothes and boxes and what not that they could find to put over it. 

 "Here, gimme that thing," Cid commanded. Aerith handed it over to the Gummi dealer. She let out a small squeak when he turned on the 'voice' button and started to yell into it. 

 Somewhere on the other end of this communicator, a very sleepy, **very** annoyed Gunblade wielder picked up the device, the cussing coming out of it nearly enough for him to want to shatter it.

 "What the hell," he slurred slightly into the black, square shaped walkie-talkie. 

 "Cid?" Aerith asked timidly. The Gummi dealer stopped at her voice. "I think somebody answered it." 

 "Hello?" 

 Before Cid could do something asinine, Cloud grabbed it from his hands, addressing Squall himself. "Squall, that you?" 

 "What is it?" 

 Kairi's head perked up, but not because of Squall. She was hearing something. 

 "Ok, just listen Leonhart. The Heartless are back in Traverse Town." 

 He heard a groan, a small curse, and the shuffling of clothing. "Since when?" 

 "Since…" Cloud stopped, glancing at Kairi. He knew it would degrade her even more, but he just had to tell him. "Since Kairi opened up this package that held a new Keyblade of some sort." 

 _'Shit.'_

Kairi flinched when he said that. She knew, of course, the Cloud had to tell him, but it was just so embarrassing. She tilted her head and rested it on the window, frowning. There was a figure outlined in the darkness of Traverse Town, and from the build, it was a man. 

 "Aerith," she whispered, motioning to her. The pink-clad women arched her brows and scooted over the where the lavender-eyed girl was. Kairi pointed to the window, where the man was, just standing there. "Who is that?" 

 Aerith stared for a little longer, her expression becoming more worried by the minute. "I don't know…hang on let me just tell Cloud." 

 The red head continued to watch him. _'What's the matter with him?'_ she thought. _'Doesn't he know that there are Heartless out there? He could get hurt!'_

"Cloud," Aerith whispered, tugging on his cape. The blonde looked down at his love. 

 "What?" he asked, pulling the device away from his ear for a moment.

 "There's a man outside. I don't know what's wrong with him, but we should go check it out." 

 Cloud looked perturbed by this news, but managed to keep his cool. "Yeah, in a sec." He returned to talking to Squall. "We have it under control for now," he said. "But we need Sora back soon. Oh and…is Yuffie…?"

 "She's fine Strife. Two day's till death, but fine." 

 "Damn," Cloud whispered, grimacing. "Ok, tell her to take care. Don't let her die, Leonhart, or I'll kill you." 

 "A welcomed recourse," Squall muttered on the other end before cutting the connection. Cloud sighed, praying that Squall wasn't seriously thinking about that. 

 "Ok…" he glanced at the other three members in the ship. "I'll go check out what's up with that guy. Stay here," he ordered, giving them one reprimanding glare before walking out, his broad sword dragging across the floor behind him. Surprisingly, no Heartless came to annoy the crap out of him. He walked straight up to the man, who looked more like a boy. He was definitely shorter than Cloud, and held a strange resemblance to Sora. 

 "I hope he's ok," Aerith murmured solicitously, hands intertwined in worry. "That man really didn't seem that…right." 

 Kairi said nothing, just watched the two silhouettes with undeterred concentration. She watched, as they seemed to be talking. Suddenly the shorter figure reached out to the taller figure, and a huge explosion nearly blinded her. She screamed. 

 "Aerith!" 

 Kairi turned around from the window, and screamed again, the shrill noise hurting her own ears. A young man was standing in the doorway, holding Cid at gunpoint. 

 "Hey," the boy smirked. Kairi stared straight into the boy's grayish orbs, which looked sickeningly like Sora's. But this wasn't Sora. 

 "My name's Kir…and you have something that belongs to me." 


	22. Last Resort

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: Don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Last Resort

A/N: Well…I think I've successfully confused my readers. Only problem is that that wasn't my intention. ^_^;; Don't worry, this chapter will clear everything up. I promise!!

~*~*~*~*~

 Kairi clutched her wrist so tightly that she felt her bracelets biting into her skin. She was rigid with fear. She'd _never_ been faced with a gun. Granted, the gun was pointed at Cid, but he might as well have been directing it at her. She didn't know what she'd do if Cid was shot; she didn't even know if Cloud was still alive. The fact that the only people who could protect them were incapacitated scared her beyond belief. 

 "I don't k-know what you're t-talking about," she stuttered, hands sweaty. Kir tilted his head to the side, but he held no look of amusement. 

 Aerith was darting her eyes between the two of them, but her mind was fully set on Cloud. She knew that explosion wasn't a gunshot, but with the condition of things, she didn't know what could be any worse than that. She was standing nearer to Kir than Kairi, but the younger girl was in easier range than she was. 

 "I think you do," the blonde said, smirking. He glanced at Cid, who was breathing calmly, staring straight up at the pistol pointed at his forehead. "Don't move gramps, or these ladies will have the pleasure of seeing your brains splattered across the floor." 

 The two girls remained immobile as he sat himself into one of the cushiony seats, leaning back as if he was having tea. "You still don't understand, do you?" 

 "No I d-don't," Kairi's shoulders shook. She had just realized how stupid they had been. They were left alone with only one capable fighter to protect them. It was just Cloud, Aerith, her and-

 _'Oh my God,'_ she thought, fear creeping into her spine. _'Donald, Goofy, and Shera. Oh my God, where are they-'_   

 As if on cue, the bathroom door was creaked open, revealing a very disgruntled duck. 

 "Why can't-" Donald started, but he didn't finish his sentence. Aerith screamed as the duck was shot in the wing, the only thing making it faint was of his own shock. The dog thankfully, must've been sleeping. Kairi had to praise his unbelievable heavy sleeping methods; had he come out, he probably wouldn't have been as lucky as Donald. As for Shera, her brain was too muddled to think where Cid's wife was.

 "Oh that was fun," Kir smiled, looking at the lump of feathers, holding another gun in his hand that he had shot the duck with. "Maybe I'll have a good dinner tonight after all." 

 "Eat him and I'll tear out your eyes," Kairi suddenly hissed, so much venom in her voice that she surprised herself. She felt so angry that she was so helpless, that they were all so helpless. She wanted to scream with anger at this man. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to whimper and cower about it. 

 Kir seemed a little deterred by this, but it quickly passed, and he once again looked impermeable. "Stupid girl…" 

 He put the gun away that he had shot the duck with. With the free hand, he reached up to his eyes, and pulled something out. Kairi and Aerith, despite themselves, made small noises. Kairi audibly gasped when she saw that he had removed…contacts? 

 "Look at my eyes," he ordered. Kairi didn't want to; albeit, she didn't _have_ to. She understood how, and now she desperately wished she didn't. 

 "You're Ansem's son," she said solemnly, tears forming in her eyes. Kir smiled. 

 "Yes." 

 "You sent the package to Sora." 

 "To take revenge for my father." 

 "But you hated him!" she screeched, the saltine liquid cascading down her cheeks. "I saw it dammit, and you hated him! How could you even stand to avenge him after what he did to you!!" 

 Kir's expression was the coldest she'd ever seen. Squall's eyes didn't even begin to compare. He reached up with his free hand again, revealing yet another part of his identity. He had apparently covered up his Heartless tattoo on his forehead by a simple means of flesh colored tape and paint. Waterproof paint, she was about to learn. 

 "Yeah, he tortured me. But he made me what I am now." Kir made a flick of his wrist, and an appalling black glow appeared at the tips of his fingers, swirling with what looked like his own blood. Kairi instantly recognized the glow as the same color of the explosion that had hit Cloud. 

 "A monster," Kairi filled in for him. Her eyes were full of distrust and contorted with pain and fear. Aerith still hadn't said a word. The gentle woman was now trembling, her own tears filling her eyes. She feared for all of them now. 

 "A prodigy," Kir corrected. "When my father created the Heartless-others like me- I thought it was perfect. What better way to continue my father's legacy than to lead an army that exceeded all creatures in the world? But then, Sora came.

 "It is true that that moron Riku was supposed to be the real Keyblade master. My father, of course, had heard of it by then. That bastard mouse king had created it. Anyways, my father didn't like the idea of being defeated by some plebeian key wielder, so he set up a foolproof plan to stop Riku." 

 Kairi's eyes went wide. "You knew about them?" 

 "My father already had a mastermind plan while those two were still five," Kir said detachedly. "Now listen. If you interrupt again, he dies." He motioned to Cid, and continued his story. 

 "What my father hadn't planned was for Riku to have a little rebellious streak of his own. So when Riku let the darkness engulf him, he had played right into Ansem's hand. We thought we already had to made. Who would believe that that laid-back idiot could've done better than the original Keyblade master?

 "Ever since my father died, I've been looking for a way to take revenge and have what is mine. Again, once I found out about all of you, everything became perfect once more. I'm the one that unleashed the Heartless again, and I let down the barriers. The fun part was making it look like Sephiroth did all of it. The poor fool still doesn't know he had been controlled the whole time." 

 Kairi had so many questions to ask, but she knew that he'd carry out his threat if she spoke. 

 "You're probably wondering what Yuffie's sickness has to do with any of this. Frankly, I hadn't really planned that. Sephiroth did that of his own accord. But, to have one of Sora's beloved friends die is good enough for me."

 "Die?" Aerith squeaked. Kir's eyes narrowed for a moment, and a small click was heard in the barrel of the gun. Aerith whimpered. "N-no, I didn't mean to-" 

 "Quiet. I won't do anything for now. Yes, she will die. How do I know this?" Kir savored the desperate look on their faces. They both knew the answer now. He knew the truth was already overwhelming them. 

 "There is no cure." 

 "No!" Kairi yelled. "There has to be!" 

 "There isn't. Sephiroth, while controlled, had been implanted with false facts, all courtesy of my newly created Heartless. This whole trip has been a lie." 

 "NO! NO!" Kairi screamed. Cid, although silent as a rock, was soundlessly crying. 

 "Be quiet!" Kir snapped, although he was filled with a sick sense of humor. This was too good to be true. 

 "What do you want?" Kairi demanded. "This doesn't make sense! HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY!?"

 "I want to be revered as a god. Sora and his wimpy friends stand in the way of that." 

 "THAT'S IT!? YOU'RE DOING THIS FOR THAT!?" 

 Kir said nothing, just grabbed the communicator on the panel and threw it at Aerith. "Call you friends. Tell them what's happening. Oh, and put them on visual. I want to see Squall's face when he finds out the one he loves is going to die." 

 Aerith nodded shakily, her fingers trembling so badly that she could barely work the device. The information had been too much. She barely even understood half of it. The motives, the reasons, she didn't want it to add up. It made a small ringing voice, and suddenly she saw Squall's rugged face on the com. He looked annoyed at first, but one look at her face made him completely staid. 

 "What's wrong Aerith? What's going on?" 

 "Kir's here," she started, knowing he would know whom she was talking about. Squall's eyes widened with hatred. "He…he's Ansem's son. We're-" she stopped, and started to sob. It took her several moments to even talk correctly. "Cloud is gone…I don't know if he's dead or fainted or what…and Cid's being held at gunpoint. It was all a plan and we don't know what to do-" 

 "Tell him about Yuffie," Kir said. 

 "Squall…" 

 Squall's eyes were full of shock as he absorbed what she had said. He had no idea Kir was Ansem's son. He felt so useless hearing her say all this, but he was millions of miles away…

 "There is no cure Squall." 

 His face disappeared from view, and Aerith realized that he'd dropped the communicator. The last thing she saw was his foot coming down onto the device and then…static. 

 "Not as satisfying as I wanted it but…" Kir trailed off. "Now, to get down to business. Give me the Keyblade. Now." 

~*~*~*~*~

I'm all out of faith

This is how I feel

I'm cold and I'm ashamed

Lying naked on the floor

Illusions never change

Into something real

I'm wide awake and I can see 

The perfect sky is torn

I'm all out of faith

This is how I feel

I'm cold and I'm ashamed

Bound and broken on the floor

You're a little late

I'm already torn

Torn…

 -Natalie Imbruglia (Torn)

 Squall slid to the floor, breathing heavy and eyes hollow. His body was shattering into pieces, and his mind was being scattered. 

 There was no cure….no cure.

 He felt blinded as he stumbled to his feet, clawing and grabbing random objects to travel to his room. He laid against his door, hearing his heart thump against it. With a heave he opened it, and he collapsed onto the floor, and did something he didn't think capable of doing. 

 He started to sob. 

 It hurt more than anything he'd ever felt, more than anything. He cried so hard that he couldn't feel his eyes, and his lungs were constricted from all of the gasps he was emitting. He couldn't take lying on the floor so he got up, went over to the dresser in the room, and threw it onto the floor. It made a loud thud, the mirror and other objects that had sat on it's top shattering on the ground. He blindly grabbed the small coffee table by his bed, and with mustering as much strength as he could, smashed it into the glass windows, watching as the shards fell. 

 He could feel the slivers kiss his feet with their painful sting, but he didn't care any more. There was nothing left to care about.

 _'Pathetic Leonhart.'_

He slumped to the ground once more, his room nothing short of intense wreckage. He wanted to stick a needle into his arm and sedate himself, but he also wanted to stay awake. _Stay alive._

 Yuffie was sure to have heard him by now. Was she worried? She was too weak to come and see what was wrong now. 

 _'Pathetic-'_

"Damnit," he lay panting on the carpet, the pain not dimming to a dull throb like it usually did; albeit, it seemed to increase with every breath. 

 'Wake up and smell the fucking flowers Leonhart…' 

"What?" he asked, distorted with anguish and blinded rage. 

 _'Hiding behind her like a fucking dog. Typical of you.'_ Seifer watched him from where he sat on the bed. Was he really there? Squall was sure he had died. 

 "I wasn't hiding." 

 _'Don't give me that shit. You've changed, and we both know it. If I were still alive, I'd be embarrassed to be called your damn rival.'_

His mind couldn't seem to rise above the hum in his head. If he was still alive? But he looked so real…

 _'I'm a figment of your imagination. You might as well be talking to yourself.'_

"Shut up." 

 _'Now that's more like you.'_ The ghost Seifer-or whatever he was-paused, stretching his long arms behind his back. His translucent emerald eyes seemed to be trying to persuade him, promising him false things. _'Forget about her.'_

"Don't give me any damn ideas." 

 _'So you've thought about it.'_

"If you were part of my imagination, I'd assume you would know that answer." 

 _'Don't get all stingy with me Leonhart. I was jus' asking.'_

Squall closed his eyes, trying to rid himself of the figure sitting in the room with him. He wasn't really there, he said. And of course, that was completely true. It was impossible for him to really be a tangible being. _'It is possible,'_ he thought. _'I'd just have to be insane for that to happen.'_

 Which led him to believe that Seifer probably was really there.

 _'Get up.' _

 "I can't."

 _'Stop wallowing on your ass, Squall. You're being pulled in by your own self-loathing, and I hate to give you this lecture shit, but you're drowning.'_

"Go back to hell." 

 _'Touché. Perfect allegory for your mind.' _

Squall growled, forcing himself onto his arms. He hadn't trained in weeks, and he realized he was beginning to feel it in his arms. 'I can train when I get back to Hollow Bastion.' He knew he was acting a little delusional, and he also knew that that so called future wouldn't have Yuffie it in. 

 "She's going to die," he said, now accepting that he was talking himself, and only using Seifer as a corporeal form to communicate with. "I'll have to accept that." 

 _'See you in hell, Leonhart.'_ Seifer's body began to deteriorate, but Squall was already leaving before he could see what became of his old equal.

 ~*~*~*~*~

 She didn't like being inside of this creature. She wanted to see the sun; so badly, she realized, that she'd do anything to attain that goal. She'd been in space for too long, and she missed waking up every morning to bright circle that supplied her with warmth. She missed all the little things in her life, like making herself a breakfast and snoozing late in the afternoon when she knew it was bad for her. She missed reading in the library, then acting as if she didn't care about the books when people asked her about them. All in all, she missed _home_.

 She missed other things too, things that were rapidly passing by her, too blurred to remember. It was then while she was caught up in her memories that Squall came into her room. 

 Yuffie felt her heart sink uncomfortably into the pit of her stomach. Of course, she knew something was wrong. After all, his noise was what had woken her in the first place. It didn't seem right to accuse him of waking her from her slumber, though. He looked like he'd taken a fast ride through the devil's lair. 

 "I'm sorry," he said, and Yuffie knew. She watched how he eyes looked sorrowful and abandoned, and listened to how his voice dropped several notches until she was sure he wasn't talking at all, but just _feeling._

 "I love you," he continued to say, and when he buried his head in the crook of her neck, she felt moisture there. She bit her lip, feeling her own eyes beginning to tear. It hurt to know the truth. 

 "I don't want you to die, and it hurts. I've never opened up to you, and I'm sorry. I was so blind, running around when t-" he stopped, realizing that to tell her that there was no cure meant to shatter any hope she had. He feared that the shock would kill her. 

 "It's ok," she cooed, her voice becoming hoarse. "It's ok." She stroked his back, that action alone enough to drain the energy from her body. She felt so tired but her body was forcing her into a sleepless state, leaning toward exhaustion but never quite allowing to the point of unconsciousness. Where a fear tickled the back of her spine, a sick paranoia, that if she slept, she would never awaken again.

 If memory served right, it was called insomnia. 

 "They're all in trouble. It's just-" he stopped trying to talk to her. He held her tightly, shoulders shaking as he let himself cry. He felt stupid to show this kind of weakness, but he realized that was his main downfall. Not opening up to her would overcome him with guilt, realizing that she would die not knowing who he really was. 

 "I know, I know." 

 "…" 

 "I knew there wasn't a cure."

 Squall's grip tightened, and he was thoroughly convinced that she was just saying that to soothe both of their pain. But she said it again, and it slowly started to sink in. 

 _She knew. She knew._

_ 'You can't hide behind her forever, Leonhart.' _

 Taunting, humiliating. Yet, it all made sense. By not telling him, she protected him from the naked truth of it all. He'd just been too scared to actually face it.

 "Why? How?" He laid his head in her soft bosom, breathing in the light lilac scent deriving from their earlier bath. Had she really been ok then? 

 "When I had intercourse with Sephiroth, he told me. Well, not told me, but I could feel it. I felt it when the pills he gave me backfired. He looked into my eyes and I knew that was it. The Heartless blood contained in my body instilled into my own blood, stemming from the main source. It hurts, I know, but I've had a while to accept it." 

 "Accept what? Your death? Yuffie, I can't just let you go. I love you damnit, and if you die, I'm coming with you." 

 "Death?" Yuffie actually sounded surprised, as if she was thinking of it just for the first time. Squall couldn't believe it. He didn't want to hear her jokes right now. "Oh Squall." 

 She lifted him from her chest, weakly holding his shoulders. She looked him straight into his eyes, her soft brown eyes-

 And smiled. 

 "I have accepted it, but it wasn't death I accepted." 

 Squall didn't fully comprehend what she was saying. She was going to live? 

 "You don't have to die? How?" 

 Yuffie smiled again, but it was weaker this time. Even so, he saw something spark into her dulled eyes. 

 "Kill Kir." 

~*~*~*~*~

 "Kairi, give it to me," Kir ground his teeth. She was as stubborn as hell. The small girl held the Keyblade in her arms, and was hugging it to her chest like a last resort. Which, technically, it was. 

 "Answer more questions!" she demanded. She knew every time she opened her mouth she pushed his temper further over the edge. If it went too far-

 There would be Cid's head to pay, including theirs. 

 "Why was Sephiroth able to have a mind of his own? Why did he take Yuffie in the first place?" 

 Kir shook his head, but deep down, she could see the perverse pleasure he got out of answering her questions. It all was reason for him to brag more. 

 "The Heartless need a pure heart to completely corrupt it. As for Yuffie, when he went to the coliseum, he was supposed to take not just her, but all the females. Taking the few that mattered to Sora and his friends, it would obviously compel them to come and retrieve you. Eventually having their searches ending in Hollow Bastion, my main plan was to turn you and the other females into the first living Heartless androids. Sora would be torn between fighting you and saving the Keyblade, as you would all retain your original appearance." 

 Kairi breathed hard. He was so articulate in his plans. He had this whole intrigue laid out before him. Things _had_ undoubtedly turned sour, and yet he seemed to come out on top. 

 "What are you?" she demanded, strength in her voice even as creatures arose from the floor, clawing their way up her body. 

 "Heartless." 

~*~*~*~*~

 He'd never felt so dizzy in his life. The world spun like those teacup rides he used to drag his parents on when he was a young child. Except now he wasn't the child-he was the sick parent about to barf.

 He knew he'd been hit in the head pretty hard. He could feel a sticky substance tickling down his forehead, and a crater sized bruise to match. His body whirred like some broken down computer, and he was sure he felt like a charged up battery, with barrages of volts snaking through him.

 It took several minutes for the lights of his world to stop dancing around his eyes, but he finally managed to discern what was going on. 

 _Kir hit him._

_ Hard._

Assuming from the way his limbs seemed to convulse and react on their own, he could safely say that hit was meant to kill him. Some of his skin tore at his back, sending more rivulets of blood down. A sound similar to an animal breaking out of an egg was heard, and he grunted in mild pain as the black wing stretched itself out, curling around himself almost instantly in instinct. He hadn't used it in a _long_ time. 

 The fact that his 'abnormalities' saved him once more from certain death didn't deter him in the least. If Aerith was ok with it, and it kept his sorry hide out of trouble, he was fine with it. 

 Claws dug into the ground as he shoved himself up. His other hand was sore, and he couldn't trust himself to completely control it. He surveyed his surroundings, looking for his much-endeared weapon. He grumbled loudly when all he saw was empty streets and a Gummi ship. 

 His senses perked when he saw figures moving in it. He didn't know where the hell his weapon was, and he understood that the little snot probably had it with him. Cloud edged closer, and a feral curse was emitted when he realized what Kir was trying to do.

 _'That little dick.' _

~*~*~*~*~

 Kairi screamed as the Heartless tried to grab the Keyblade from her, bloodying her hands in an attempt to get the weapon. Being a princess of heart, she was naturally scared of them; every experience she had involved them trying to seriously harm her. Now was no different. She looked up in half fear, half anguish at Kir, and spotted a blur of blond behind him. 

 Kir stood with a smirk as he watched Kairi slowly break down and panic as more Heartless grabbed onto her. He glanced at Aerith. She seemed so torn about helping the girl. But she knew what Kir would do. Move and die. 

 Ansem's son was so transfixed by all the chaos unfolding before him that he failed to notice the swift figure that moved up behind him, feet silent from many years of being a practiced mercenary. He only felt the presence behind him before it was too late. 

 All occupants of the ship watched as Cloud's fist came smashing across the side of Kir's face, the punch so powerful it made Kir's neck crack, and caused him to reel sideways, tripping over Cid's body. He lost him steely grip on the gun, and he suddenly felt Cid's callused hands ripping it from his own. Cloud came at him again, but Kir was ready this time, even faster with the anger that fueled him. Why was he still alive?

 One glance at the spiked wing protruding from his back told him everything. He lifted his hand up, directing it toward Cloud. 

 "No one move." 

 Cid, now free to talk, smirked. "Getting all stingy now that you ain't under control?" Cid had reversed their positions, the .42 pistol now being pointed at Kir. Cloud and Cid had Kir in a very tight position, where moving in either direction could cost him his very life. The trio was distracted though by the scream that burst forth from Kairi's mouth. 

 "KAIRI!" Cloud yelled, just as Kir unleashed another wave of dark energy, blasting Cloud out of the ship with an electrifying bang. Kairi screamed again, and this time Aerith was there for her. 

 "FIRAGA!" the frail woman yelled. Aerith had a gentle soul and deadly magic. The Heartless hissed as they were hit with a bombardment of flames, blasting out of Aerith's open hands like rapid fire. The black creatures melted off of the princess's body like ice, pooling onto the floor and dissipating into nothing. 

 _Bang._

Cid watched as the bullet lodged itself straight into Kir's forehead, red liquid oozing from the small hole. Kir's eyes looked like they went into shock for a moment, and Cid smiled with satisfaction, the same look on his face that he got after he was done finishing a job. He stood up shakily, knowing that if Cloud hadn't woken at that time and distracted him, they would've all been dead. 

 "Whew," he breathed, giving a weak thumbs-up to Kairi. She nodded and clutched the Keyblade. Cid frowned though when he watched her eyes go wide. 

 The air left his lungs as his feet were swept from under him, and he looked up into the leering face of Kir. He watched with shock as the bullet hole slowly closed itself up. The tattoo on his head seemed to shine even brighter now. 

 "You old fool. Bullets won't kill me." 

~*~*~*~*~

 "I don't get it," Sora grumbled, leaping down from another ledge in the whale's stomach. "First Squall demands that we go out and find the 'pharoah's erratic ass' and then when we're halfway through finding it, he calls us back like the whole Gummi ship has been caught on fire. I don't get it." 

 "It's aromatic grass," Riku correctly his friend, trying not to laugh. "Not pharoah's erratic ass." 

 "Hurry up!" the general called from way up ahead of them. Squall told them to hurry, and Sora and Riku seemed intent on dawdling their lives away. Which, he had to admit, was a lot safer thing to do than going back and having their lives in the hands of Squall's wrath. 

 Riku and Sora sped up pace, the brown haired one nearly tripping over himself in an effort to beat his older friend. Riku snorted as his friend fumbled over his huge feet. God help him if he ever had to borrow some of Sora's shoes. 

 They got to the ship without any other incident, aside from where Riku refused to step back into the green water. In the end they managed to get him in by saying that Sephiroth would carry his across by his balls if he didn't step in of his own will. 

 "Get in," Squall grunted curtly. "We're going back to Traverse Town." 

 "Why?" 

 "To kill Kir." Only Sephiroth had a look of understanding. Squall turned his attention toward him. He had thought that Sephiroth had been at fault, but he realized that he had been a pawn just like the rest of them. Not that his opinion for the man was going to change much. "Explain to them on the way," he said to the general, nodding to the two boys. Sephiroth nodded. 

 Sora noticed a huge pile of wood built up on the whale's tongue. "What's that for?" 

 "To get out," Squall said logically. Sora didn't want to tell them if they waited long enough, the whale would spit them out anyways. Everyone got into their own ships, while Squall stood in front of the large pile, outstretching his hand. 

 "Fira," he murmured softly, blue eyes shining in the bright light as the fire grew. He stepped into the ship, taking the controls. Sephiroth obviously had to stay in the other ship to tell the boys what was going on.

 A large moan echoed throughout the cavern that was the Monstro's mouth. The large whale coughed, sputtered, and finally sneezed them out, smoke billowing out as it did so. He heard a few flaming planks bang onto their ship Monstro expelled them, wood, ship, and all. It wasn't until the large creature gave a threatening growl and floated out of view that he managed to relax.

 _'Kill Kir.'_

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ok, don't hurt me. I know things are all weird now, and I really thought that this chapter was too melodramatic. Hell, it took me forever to just tie things up and make sure Kir's story made sense. If it doesn't, please write why in your review, because I really need to make sure I covered all angles. 

 ******NOTE** This is probably the third to the last chapter, or something like that. Don't expect an update for a month or longer, because I have A LOT of crap to do. I don't even want to start saying all the junk I have to finish. If I do update sooner than that, it's probably because I was typing when I was supposed to be doing my work. Remember, this is a hobby, not a priority. 

 Hehe…anyways…review please.


	23. Drunken Hope

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: After twenty-two chapters of saying it, you'd think I wouldn't even bother putting this anymore.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Drunken Hopes

 An old man and woman sat in the safety of their small compact home, softly sipping coffee in the light of the fire they had going. They sat at a handcrafted wooden table that was position right below a stain glass window, overlooking the second district of Traverse Town. They lived next to a shoe shop that the man owned, something he was proud of. 

 The couple was currently stuck in their own thoughts, only half oblivious to the creatures sauntering outside. The woman took a glance at her husband that she'd been married to for over forty years. Finally, she spoke. 

 "Traverse Town isn't as it used to be." 

 Her husband made eye contact with her, hazel eyes worn out, but slightly livened by the fire. 

 "I know, Claire. People are moving, coming in, going…I don't know half as many people as I used to." 

 Claire smiled and placed her gnarled hand on the table, reaching over and stroking her husband's. 

 "I remember those kiddies that came from Hollow Bastion," she said fondly. "That Yuffie was such a character." She trailed off, thinking for a moment. "They're back dear, you know. I haven't seen them lately, but I spotted her sitting on the roof across the street a few months ago. Busy throwing fruits at that shrew Mr. Mullens." 

 "Mr. Mullens," the husband snorted contemptuously. "That rat deserved it!" He sobered up. "Little Yuffie was all alone up there?" 

 "Oh no. Leonhart-handsome that one-was up there watching over her. I know he's older than her but…" she smiled. "They look so _right._"

 "I have to agree." The husband paused. "Claire, do you hear that?" 

 The woman placed her warm mug down, frowning as her aged ears tried to pick up any sound. "I'm sorry honey, I just don't hear a thing." 

 "I swear I heard-" 

 "LOOK OUT!" 

 The two elders visibly blanched as a lean figure came streaking into their house, followed by six others. They sat there for a minute, watching as three girls and an oddly dressed dog were shoved into their closet. The two men leaned against the door, looking like they were holding their breaths. The couple instantly recognized the blonde with short hair and goggles. 

 "Cid! What's going on?" 

 The older blonde put his fingers to his lips; gesturing to the door they were heavily putting their weight on. The younger one, Cloud, had his hand over his mouth and was exhaling loudly through his nostrils like a panting dog. His other arm was wrapped around a white duck coated with blood on one side.  

 Claire froze as she saw shadows move outside, followed by cursing, several smashed objects, and more cusses. Her husband clutched her hand as she tried not to whimper. 

 'I think they're gone,' Cloud mouthed to Cid. The gummi dealer nodded, hesitantly wiping sweat from his brow, as if still not trusting that they had left. 

 "What was that about?" Claire's husband, Pierre, asked in a quiet tone, near a whisper. 

 Cloud sighed, going over and gently opening the closet door, beckoning for Aerith, Goofy, Shera and Kairi to come out. They tried to come out all at once, with Kairi tripping over the other two women's feet. She flailed her arms and fell on her butt, and Shera, Goofy, Aerith nearly fell down with her, slamming their feet into the miscellaneous items in the closet, like broken umbrellas and irons. They managed to get out relatively unharmed, even though Goofy was conspicuously saying something about having a croquet stick stuck in a very inappropriate place.

 "What's going on?" Pierre further asked. Claire had gone into the kitchen, taking out what sounded like pots and pans. 

 "We're being chased by," Cloud stopped, rubbing his aching fist where it had connected with Kir's cheek. "Let's just say he's a bad man." 

 In reality, 'being chased' was a serious understatement. After Cid had shot Kir, Aerith had cast Holy, a magic spell that only she possessed. With Kir being consumed by darkness, his essence reacted violently with the spell, causing most of his body to become burned. He had been incapacitated for a few minutes, and during that time, they had run… 

 …like bats outta hell.

 They had barely been able to shove themselves into the nearest building-in this case, Claire's and Pierre's house-before a swarm of Heartless came streaking after them. Cloud wasn't blind. The Heartless he'd seen were unlike the one's he'd witnessed before. There were bat-like creatures with horns protruding from their heads, huge behemoth shaped creatures covered in spikes and wielding axes, and a myriad of other creatures that had been too crushed together for him to discern what they looked like. He prayed that Squall would haul ass over here. If they ever needed the Keyblade master, now was the most.

 At that moment, the sixty-eight year old women came bursting, (staggering, in Cid's opinion) into the room, holding the most ridiculous things they'd ever seen. 

 "If they come back, we'll be ready for them!" Claire said with much conviction. Cloud rolled his eyes, hoping she didn't notice. 

 "I really don't think that will help," Cloud said, glancing at her. She had a noodle strainer on her head, a long butcher knife in one hand, and a huge frying pan in the other. Cloud briefly considered that she could pass a Hannibal Lector's wife. "At all," he added so that she couldn't hear.

 "Settle down sweetheart, these kids have it under control," Pierre said, furrowing his brows even as he said this. "At least I think they do." 

 "At the moment, we are anything but under control." 

 All of the occupants of the room let out an internal sigh. Aerith looked at the elderly couple. She really felt sorry for putting them in the middle of their troubles. Really, they had shaken off half the doors in Traverse Town trying to find one that was open. It had just been a matter of luck-and maybe forgetfulness-that they had found a door that had been unlocked. The benign girl's thoughts wandered elsewhere, like if the couple always forgot to lock their door.

 Cloud was down on the floor with Pierre, Donald lying in between them. Cloud grimaced as his fingers dug deeper into the duck's wing, feeling tissue and tendon's pulse beneath his fingers. He finally grasped the slippery bullet, pulling in out and throwing it in disgust into the corner. Wiping his bloody gloves on his pants, he took the scarf Pierre handed him and secured it around the wing. 

 "He'll be fine." Cloud stood up, glancing around. Everyone seemed mostly fine. "Well this sucks."

 "At least this is safe," Kairi inputted uselessly, holding up the Keyblade. Cid sneered at it like it was a vile creature. 

 "That stupid thing got us all into this." 

 "Sorry," Kairi murmured nervously, biting her lip. Cid went over to her and put his hand on her head. 

 "I wasn't talking about you, kid." 

 "Sorry," she said again. 

 "So…what do we do now?" Shera broke the silence, fixing her glasses. Cid walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. 

 "We wait."

~*~*~*~*~

 Yuffie was not in a good mood. She had exactly one and a half days to live, she couldn't sleep, eat, or move, and Squall was driving like he'd been living under a rock for all his life. Which, considering she was actually bouncing up and down in her bed, was pretty damn bad. 

 She considered that after they killed Kir, she would kill him for giving her the most Gummi-sickness she'd ever had in her life. Not even her plane barfing tendencies could even compare to this.

 As if to prove how bad it was, she actually had a bucket positioned on her stomach, already half full from her lunch and God knows what else. She could feel her kidney's doing a jig, but it had nothing to do with Squall's heinous driving. Unfortunately, she had no one to take her to the bathroom. 

 "Squall," she croaked, but there was no possible way for him to hear her. He had left the door to her room open, but he was so concentrated on driving that it was just the same had it been closed. Besides, she wasn't really sure if it was safe for him to come in. _'Yeah. Come in here and I'll macerate your balls._'

 _'You're optimistic.'_

"So you noticed." At least Kamikiri was on speaking terms with her again. She wasn't really sure what she'd done to make him ignore her, but she was happy that he conversing now. 

 _'Are you really that sure that you'll beat Kir?'_

"No," she said brightly. "Hell, we might even die. I don't know. But it's no use lamenting over something that's undecided as of yet." 

 _'That's deep.' _

 "Yep. I think I got it from a book."

 Kamikiri didn't answer, and Yuffie suddenly got a picture of him as a human. He would surely have a reprimanding face, eyes stern but filled with compassion. And, most likely, he'd have a few gray hairs, mainly deriving from Yuffie and her antics. 

 "If I had a grandpa, I would want him to be like you," she said thoughtfully. 

 _'Is that a compliment or not?'_

"Compliment. By the way, when am I going to ever summon you?" 

 _'I'm…not sure. It all depends on you.'_

"It's always me," she grumbled, staring up at the ceiling. Kamikiri said some all-knowing phrase (or at least she thought he did), and she let out a guffaw as she reflected on their platonic relationship. "Will I ever be able to get rid of you?'

 _'Depends.'_

"Har har." 

 "Are you talking to yourself?" Squall asked as he walked into the room, raising an eyebrow and Yuffie's obtrusive glare. "What?" 

 "You…" she said lowly. "You are the shittiest driver this side of hell has ever seen!" 

 "Excuse me?" He knew he had been driving kind of fast, but he didn't think it was that bad. "I shaved about two hours off the normal arriving time." 

 "It cost me my stomach." Yuffie pointed out, poking the aforementioned organ, which seemed to be intent on sucking itself into her spine. 

 "I'll feed you again." 

 She groaned, rolling onto her side. Usually when she did this, it was a sign that she didn't want to talk to him anymore. Unfortunately though, it only seemed to work when he was lying next to her. "Don't talk about food. I still got bile in my mouth anyways." 

 "I'll remember that," he stated dryly, his face becoming more solemn. Yuffie curled into a little ball on the bed, trying to focus herself too. She knew that Squall was about ready to butcher Kir, but she wanted to be the one to fight him. Of course, she had several things preventing her from doing that. One, she was too weak, two, she couldn't walk, and three, she didn't know how she was going to defeat him. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. 

 "Are there any crutches in here?" she asked, a plan slowly formulating in her mind. She was as tired as bloody hell, but determined to do this. 

 "I think so." Squall narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Yuffie always found that amusing, as she had been told that men felt more secure in that posture than in anything else. "You're not going out," he said flatly. 

 "Yes I am," she said, glowering at the wall. 

 "Give me one reason why I should let you." 

 "For revenge!" she snapped. 

 "Fine. Give me five." 

 "SQUALLIE!!" she yelled, darting up from her prone position and pouting at him. "Please! You gotta let me go!" She made a face that Squall had come to associate with a helpless kitten. But she a tiger waiting behind those eyes and he refused to give in. He made it a point to not even look at her. 

 _'Crap it's not working.' _ Her expressions were never really good escape plans anyways, and she still had a hard time believing that Squall almost always fell for them. You'd think that someone as uncompromising as Squall would be able to dodge around a little teen's charm. 

 "You have to let me," she said levelly. She couldn't believe she was sinking down to monotony, something that she considered solely Squall's territory, and his only. "I want to do this for myself. Kir played me, and I want to show him I can play him just as well." 

 "You're too sick. You _know_ that fighting will speed up the disease. What if we don't defeat him fast enough?" 

 "I know, I've thought of that," she said calmly, even as her heart began to pound like a bongo drum. No, she _hadn't _thought of that. She forgot that her adrenaline system was what controlled the spread of it, and she hated herself for missing such crucial information. 

 "We can all fight him together then," she admitted begrudgingly. If he was Ansem's son, than there was no way that she could defeat him all by herself. Sora was barely able to beat Ansem, and well…obviously. 

 "No." 

 Oh God, not _that._ _That_ 'no' was the one that he used to give her, the one that said 'end of discussion' and 'go away I hate your guts.' That 'no' was what he said to her when he meant to be cruel, and she'd spent a few nights crying over it. 

 "Damn you Squall," she said angrily, although all she felt was despair. "Please please please? I promise I won't get hurt, and I promise I won't die. Please?"

 "You can't promise those things," he stated flatly, but she looked about ready to bawl, so he gave in. "Fine. I see you freeze up even once and I'm dragging you back to the ship." 

 Yuffie smiled for a moment, and then frowned as she digested his words. 

 "But Squall! Freezing up is my specialty!"

~*~*~*~*~

 Sora's watched as Riku's forehead expanded, and how his mouth seemed to move but only slow, monotonous sounds came out. His world looked fuzzy and he could've sworn that the room was dancing around him. Riku said something else, this time sounding worst than the last. Now, his face was doing weird things. 

 Sora was drunk. 

 "Riikkkuuu…" he slurred, reaching out a touching his best friend's face. "Yoorreee facee ishh all funnnyyy…heeeheee…." The boy started to giggle uncontrollably. Riku smiled drunkenly, poking at Sora's face in turn. He too, was just as buzzed as Sora was. 

 "Yoore skin'ssshhh shoft," Sora whispered, breath carrying a high stench of beer in it. "All silky…" 

 Riku snorted and started to giggle himself, his body teetering back, then falling forward into Sora's chest, like a seesaw. Riku grabbed Sora's shoulders for support and shook him giddily. He stopped doing it after awhile, seeing as it was upsetting Sora's stomach, and he didn't want Sora to puke on him. Riku smiled and started playing with his own silver locks. 

 "Want shomm more beeer?" Sora asked, putting the bottle right beneath his friend's nose. Riku looked at it for a moment, then took it and downed the whole bottle. Sora laughed merrily. "Gooo!!" Sora patted Riku's head. "Whaddaya wanna do now?" 

 Riku burped and banged his head against the table they were sitting at in the cockpit. "Lesh play a game!" he said suddenly, proud of himself. But Sora didn't look too happy. 

 "I'm not good at games…" he said sadly, taking another sip of the bottle. He looked over the rim at Riku for a moment, giggling. The older boy leaned over, eyes hazy. 

 "Wat?" he slurred. 

 "Lesh kiss," Sora said, smiling. "I saws it on a show…" he bend closer too. "Kairi'll like it…" 

 "Uh-huh…" 

 The two boys leaned further together when…

 "OK!" Sephiroth roared, yanking the two boys apart. He growled and rubbed his face, trying to rub the image of the two almost locking lips. "Obviously it was stupid to trust that you two would get a drink from the fridge without touching the alcohol. Do you have any idea how _smashed_ you two are?"

 All he got was two blank (and in his opinion, sexually deprived) stares. 

 "Good Lord," he muttered, taking the seven empty bottles and throwing them into the trash. He could see a few more had already been in there. They'd probably nearly drank two full packs. 

 Squall was going to **kill** him. There was no way that he could show up with two drunken teens that could barely talk, much less fight. Not only that, but those boys would have to piss to the high heavens once all that beer got down to their bladders.

 "Okay," he started, feeling oddly brotherly. He didn't like the idea of getting attached to anyone, since he'd never experienced it. But ever since he'd been stuck with the two whiny teens, they had seemed to…grow on him. He didn't really want to believe that he actually _cared_ for them; no, that was going too far. Not care, but maybe just a feeling of mutual respect. Not that there was much to respect at the moment. "You two are going to stay _away_ from each other. Don't touch, don't talk, don't even look at each other. I want you two to wait here until I get back. You move, you die." 

 Satisfied with the stupor plastered all over their faces, the general went over to the fridge, eying the various fruits and dairy products. He'd never actually concocted a hangover remedy before, as he'd never been around people who drink. Frankly, he'd barely ever had alcohol himself. Unlike other people, instead of moping over a bottle, he killed. 

 Sephiroth grimaced but ignored the pain in his mind. Maybe drinking would've been an easier way out than massacring countless innocents. He grunted, and pushed those thoughts out of his head. He grabbed random foods in the refrigerator, dumping them into the blender on the counter. After filling it with milk, water, and soda, he mixed the liquids along with the food until it became a liquid brownish green color. Not the prettiest thing in the world, but he was positive that the taste would definitely teach them not to drink. Probably scar them from the life of alcohol, for that matter. 

 "Drink this," he ordered, handing them each a cup. Sora frowned and sniffed it. 

 "EwWWWwwwww," he whined, sticking out his tongue. "It's smells like poop." 

 "And your lucky I didn't put any in," Sephiroth quipped. "Drink it or you'll wish you were never born."

 "I tink dat a lot," Riku said absentmindedly, but had already tipped the foul slush into his mouth. His eyes widened for a moment, and Sora and Sephiroth watched in interest as his face turned several shades of green, until he finally looked about he was nearly ready to faint. Sora, out of sheer drunken stupidity, took a sip of his own, spitting it out almost instantly. Sephiroth stared at the spit marks on the wall. _'I didn't know I put eggs in that…'_  

 "I dow lyke it," Sora said, putting it down. "I want to go to sweep." 

 "You can after you drink it. Besides, we're landing soon so you won't have much of a nap anyways." 

 Riku was glaring at the glass as if it had offended him. "Stupid dwink," he growled, and raised his fist to smash it onto the glass. His eyes widened slightly though as his intended target suddenly disappeared, and he had the dissatisfaction of feeling the wood beneath his hand. "Where it go?" 

 Before he had a chance to even look around for it, he felt his mouth being forced open, and the glass of the drink nearly being shoved down his throat. He gagged but Sephiroth didn't let him go until he had the whole vile concoction in his mouth. His eyes cleared slightly, his drunken state being taken over by a new feeling-disgust. 

 Sora stared at what he'd done to his friend. Sephiroth turned to him with the glass in his hand. 

 "You're next." 

 All Sora could emit was a pitiful 'meep'.

~*~*~*~*~*~

 Kir eyed the dark city, calm on the outside, but a livid storm on the inside. He stood atop the bell tower in the Second District, alone except for the random Heartless that came wandering by to give him an update. But he'd been so pissed lately that before the Heartless could give a report, he emasculated and killed them, or something close to that. 

 His soft flaxen hair was blowing softly in the wind, blocking his visage, but he didn't really care. He wasn't exactly looking for them. Looking for them would look desperate, and he was anything but. He knew that they had probably asked for Sora to come back. 

 "Let him come," Kir growled. He squeezed the dagger in his hand so tightly that the hilt left ornate imprints in his hand. "That whelp deserves to die." 

 He was brought out of his soon-to-be-ranting when a Heartless sprang onto the roof to join him. He glanced at it, and slowly brought up his dagger.

 "Master, I would appreciate you not raise that weapon to me," the Heartless said, the voice giving away that it was a female. She had pointy ears, like a cat, with huge yellow glowing eyes, with only a small black slit for a pupil. She stood about a foot taller than a normal human, her long legs and arms muscular and a definite black in color. She had no prominent features like a nose, mouth, or even breasts. She was just a mold, with only her eyes, ears, and swishing tail telling that she wasn't human anymore. 

 "Appreciate?" Kir said incredulously, turning to her. He'd actually known her as a human… "You're Heartless. You can't _appreciate_ anything." 

 "Yes, master, I apologize," she murmured, bowing her head. Her black fingers tightened around the large spear she held. "Squadron A, led by Reaper number 021, has reported that the party has no been spotted in District One. District Two, scanned by Squadron B and C-" 

 "Shut up already," he snapped, twirling his dagger in agitation and sheathing it. She had been built to be a military tactician, with full training and military speech inputted into her. Now he regretted that decision, as half of what she usually said he didn't even understand. Unfortunately, he couldn't kill her for the sole reason that she was the best Heartless he had, better than most bosses that Sora had ever faced. And she would've been perfect if she didn't have a mouth. "Just tell me if you've found them yet." 

 "No sir."

 "Fine. Go away." The Heartless nodded and jumped off of the balcony, flying down a near sixty-foot drop and still able to land gracefully on her feet. Kir snorted. She was a cat; of course she'd land on her feet.

 Kir exhaled, now alone with his thoughts again. He didn't have much to do until they actually showed their faces, but even then he couldn't be really sure that even that would sate his boredom. He'd never fought Sora and the others before, but based on the ones that he had, he didn't have too much doubt. 

 He growled at the reminder of Cloud. He had a purple bruise on his right cheek from where he'd punched him. Odd enough, even though he had a bruise from that, there was no sign that he was ever shot by Cid. He smiled, reaching up and touching the place where he'd been shot in the forehead. Not a trace of a scar marred his face from that. 

 _'Of course. I'm bulletproof.'_

Kir's ears perked up when he heard a dull throb in the distance. He smiled when he spotted two ships coming to land. So, they'd come after all. He laughed at how pathetic they were. Squall, he could imagine, would most likely be a wreck. As for Yuffie…

 "Shame she has to die," he said idly. "She would've made a good slave."

 He yawned, feeling weary as he walked to the dark cove where the rope for the bell was. He lowered himself to lean against the wall, a smirk settling on his lips. Let them be reunited with their friends. He was going to take a nap. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 "Lookit all the Heartless," Riku said. He had sobered up, but he hadn't yet completely managed to get over his childish giggling yet. He stared at all the black creatures moving around. "I hate Heartless," he started. "All evil and black-" 

 "Will you shut up!" Yuffie snapped, almost hysterical. She'd had a fit when she realized that the two had gotten drunk. But then again, it was nothing compared to the one that Squall threw. He looked like he really wanted to punch all three of them, but instead settled on slapping them and cursing a few colorful words. "And stop touching me Sora! Hot damn, who knew that you were such a little perv!" 

 "I'm not touching you…" Sora said innocently. Unlike Riku, his side effects were a ridiculous urge to touch everything. _Everything. _"I thought that was Sephiroth." 

 "Don't touch me either you bratty fag," Sephiroth snapped, in just a bad mood as the rest of them. The five of them were sitting in the waterway, relatively safe since they had put the bars back onto the entrance, and they guarded the entrance from Merlin's house. When you're suck with people that you most likely hate, in a smelly waterway, with Heartless roaming around, it was bound to get you in a shitty mood. 

 "Stop calling me names," Sora said suddenly, whimpering. Yuffie let out a sigh of exasperation and moved her crutches aside so she could hug the boy. 

 "Come on Sora, don't cry," Yuffie said, rubbing his back. It was like trying to keep a baby from squealing. They'd thought that his touchy-child-impulse was the only effect, but it seemed he was emotionally unstable too. "We didn't mean that." 

 "Please shut him up," Squall groaned, wanting to bang his head against the wall. Instead he just tightened his grip on the Gunblade, staring dejectedly at the wall. 

 "Squall!" Yuffie hissed in warning. Sora clutched to her. "Don't be mean to him!" 

 "He's getting more attention than I do," he said under his breath. Yuffie glared at him. 

 "What was that?" 

 "Nothing."

 Yuffie frowned, staring at the greenish water. Riku, her, and Sora were sitting on the floor while Sephiroth and Squall leaned against the door that led to Merlin's. She watched her dismal boyfriend refuse to meet his gaze. She let out a sigh. She knew that Sora's stupor wasn't what was bothering. He was still hung up over the fact that she might die. 

 "I'm not going to die," she whispered. Sora, nuzzling inappropriately into her chest, looked up. 

 "You're not going to die," he said, looking happy again. "You're our fwend. You won' die." 

 "Thanks Sora." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Now get offa me." 

 Sora did so obediently, rolling over and staring up at the ceiling. It was completely silent for a while, Sora and Riku not even the ones to break it. They could all feel the tension in the air, and it stabbed their hearts like jagged shards of glass. 

 "It's not just about me anymore," Yuffie started to talk. She remembered a while ago, sitting in this same cave, in the same position, with her legs pulled up to her chest, and a look of contemplation on her face. It went a little different though. 

 _The three sat in silence, the girl in the middle the only one who seemed to be creating disgruntlement in the air. _

_ "Alright I'll tell you!" Yuffie burst out of anger, although she hadn't been interrogated any. Cloud and Squall both looked quiet startled, even though the older man did well to contain it. "I got in a fight with Aerith." _

Her eyes watered at the memory. It had been so much easier then. "I thought that it was, but after seeing all those Heartless, I know I was just deceiving myself. He'll be just like Ansem, you know," she said. "He'll make all the worlds disappear, and he'll make all those people hurt all over again. We **have** to kill him." 

 "I can't fight." Yuffie looked at Sora, who was lying next to her with his arms at his side like he was petrified. He just laid there like a doll. "I can't fight. Not like this." 

 "Me neither," Riku piped in. 

 "This is a fine mess we've got ourselves into," Squall observed, making sure that the two young boys heard him.  

 "Sowwy," Sora said sheepishly. After drinking that hangover remedy, he'd thrown up several times in the toilet, and had bruises in several places from where he smashed into cabinets and what not as he wandered around. He swore that he wouldn't drink again…at least for now. "My coordination ish shot," he added, waving his hand in front of his face. He was only fifteen, and it was disgruntling that he couldn't hold alcohol very well. At all. 

 "What're we going to do?" Yuffie asked, remembering seeing the almost army-like numbers of Heartless, more than she'd ever seen in her lifetime. 

 "Do you have any magic?" Sephiroth asked her, emerald eyes piercing, but also hazy with thought. 

 "Uhh, yeah," Yuffie murmured, a little embarrassed. "Some cure spells and a few Fire and Firas."

 Sephiroth didn't ask after that, just leaned against the wall. He looked like he was nodding asleep. Yuffie wondered why he even asked her about magic. She was never good at it, and if she remembered correctly, she had a few burns on her arms when the spells had stalled. 

 "Why?" she spoke. 

 Squall watched her for a while, not doing anything but taking in her features and posture. "With all those Heartless, we need attacks that will hit multi-targets." 

 Yuffie let out a peeved noise. "And why don't you think my shuriken can do that?" 

 Sephiroth cast a dubious glance at Yuffie's crutches, lying next to her, almost half in the water. The ninja frowned and stuck her tongue out at him. It was bad enough that she had to wobble around with them; they didn't have to insult the damn things. 

 "We shoo' get gowing," Sora said, stumbling to his feet. Riku and Yuffie had to grab onto his ankles to ensure he wouldn't pitch face forward into the water. The Keyblade master grunted, shaking off the orange and black gloves clinging to him. He wavered, and before he could realize what happened, he was between Yuffie and Riku again, with a painful throb in his behind. 

 "We need to contact Cloud first." Squall took out the small communicator from his side pocket. He was surprised it still worked, as he actually threw it into the cave to prevent it from getting wet. As for his hands, he'd been too busy carrying Yuffie and making sure she didn't drown or choke on poop water or something. 

 He waited patiently as the shrill chime resounded off of the cavern walls. 

 "I wonder what they're doing?" Yuffie asked out of nowhere.

 Meanwhile in Claire and Pierre's house…

 "Oww! Put that down!" Cid said from the floor, where he'd been knocked under the table by the old woman's furious movements. "It's just a damn spider!" 

 Claire had death in her eyes as she took the two large fireplace matches and continued to burn the poor arachnid to death. Ever since they informed her about the Heartless, she had been standing on the edge of her seat (literally, in a few cases), attacking anything that dared move, excluding the people in the house. 

 "Come on, Mrs. Parson, he's right," Cloud said, trying to coax the woman to put out the matches, which were almost a foot in length and burning like a wildfire. 

 "I think it's dead now," Shera added, watching from the corner. A soft ringing diverted her attention from the woman to the communicator on the table. "Cid! The com. is ringing!" 

 "What?" As he attempted to get up, he banged his head on the table. "Ow! Shit," he growled, reaching up and groping around the table until he found the cold metal beneath his worn fingers. "Hey," he said gruffly, not in the brightest of moods. A monotone voice answered him. 

 "Where are you." Cid snorted. At least some things were still sane. 

 "In the second district, in the Parson's house. It's next to the shoe shop." He paused when he heard giggling in the background, and someone talking to himself. The voices sounded painfully familiar. "Squall, who are those?" 

 "Riku and Sora. They…got drunk." 

 "Cid, what's wrong?" Shera inquired in a concerned tone, watching her husband's face lose all color. "Is everything ok?" 

 "Riku and Sora can't fight," the gummi pilot stated bluntly. Cloud stared at him. 

 "Why?" 

 "Cause they're drunk." 

 "Riku and Sora drank?!" Kairi demanded with wide eyes. Cid nodded. "But they're only fifteen and sixteen!" she wailed, putting her head in her hands. "We need them!" she glared down at the Keyblade with venom. 

 Cid only nodded again, and put the com. back up to his ear. He frowned when he realized Squall had long since hung up. 

~*~*~*~*~

 "So how did they react?" Yuffie asked. 

 "They freaked." 

 "Figures." 

 Squall walked over to Yuffie, yanking her to her feet. Riku and Sora tried to get up too, but ended having to get dragged up by their collars. "We'll go back the way we came, climb through the hotel, and go to the house next to the shoe shop. You are to stay near me or Sephiroth at all times, or consider yourself dead." Yuffie smiled against Squall's chest. He sounded exactly like he did nine years, telling them to steer clear of the Heartless. 

 Squall turned to Sora, who had to lean onto Riku for support. His friend seemed to be doing the same. "You can summon you monsters, preferably Dumbo. Actually, be sure that you summon him only. He'll keep you off the ground and clear most of the Heartless. As long as you don't fall off, you'll be fine." 

 "What about me? I can't summon, and I don't know magic. I could ride with Sora, or maybe just follow-" 

 Squall cut the atypical talking Riku off. "Just ride with Sora." 

 "Uhh…wouldn't it be safer for me to ride with them too?" Yuffie asked. Squall turned to her, then nodded. They all traveled out, Sephiroth and Squall helping to vault the other three onto the balconies of the hotel. By the time they were in the hotel hallway, Yuffie was grinding her teeth, and Sora was making annoying depraved noises.

 A heartless slowly slid out from the walls, but instead of popping out completely, its lower half remained attached from whence it came. It had the typical long, spindly claws, gnashing teeth, and one red eye, and one orange. The Heartless symbol was carved onto its skeletal and gaunt chest.

 "_Ryooo caint gheet ahwahhh_," it jeered, a disgusting like foam dripping from its mouth. Riku grimaced and flipped the creature off. 

 "It can talk," Yuffie said dubiously, staring at the near drooling Heartless. _'Not to mention it sounds like Sora and Riku when they talk.'_ She noticed that the so-called foam was burning holes into the floor as it dripped and made contact. "I don't think we should touch the mouth." 

 "Apparently. I believe it's telling us we can't get away," Squall said, assuming that the words the heartless had splurged out was somewhere similar to that. 

 "Like we want to fight Mr. Acid Drool," Yuffie said with a snort, starting to move forward with her crutches. "This must be one of those mentally retarded ones."

 Just as she moved forward, the Heartless' hand shot out, catching her right across the chest. She yelped as four shallow, but painful cuts showed themselves in the valley of her breasts. Squall darted forward and dragged her back, glaring murderously at the Heartless. 

 "Ow ow ow," she moaned, the cold of the air con. making it sting even more. Squall's had slid over her mouth as several more figures came seeping out of the walls, until the whole hall was covered with them, making it impossible to pass. Heartless were on each side of the walls, claws dangling and reaching out for anything that came by. 

 "Holy shit," Riku murmured, wide-awake for a moment. It reminded him vaguely of those books he used to read, where the hero had to run through a hallway full of swinging axes. Only this time it was clawing heartless. Not that there was much of a difference if you looked at it as a life and death situation. 

 "We can still turn back," Yuffie suggested weakly. The Heartless had taken up the walls in front of them, but the walls behind them were clear. "I mean, it's so much safer." 

 Squall gently ran his fingers across her cuts, making her whimper. He kissed the top of her head soothingly and nodded. "Alright. We'll travel the distance out-" he stopped short, staring at something straight ahead. 

 "Squallie, whazza matter?" she reached up to stroke his face, following his gaze. Her stomach seemed to drop to her feet. Kir was standing at the end of the hallway, looking quite smug.

 "You like my Labyrinth Beasts? They shred anything that steps within three feet, in any direction. Their claws can miss, but their projectile acid foam doesn't." He sneered as he pointed to the walls behind them, making more Beasts pop up. Yuffie could've sworn she lost all color in her face as she clutched dreadfully to Squall's shirt. "Come on Squall," he leered. "You want to save your pitiful girlfriend?" 

 Yuffie could feel Squall tense beneath her fingers, and before she registered what was happening, she'd been flung over his shoulder, and watching the floor that soon became littered with black skeletal arms. She could hear Sora and Riku yelling some pretty weird stuff, but it also sounded like they were hitting most of their targets. That was good. 

 Her mood turned unpleasant when sprays of acid fell within inches of her face, and she saw out of the corner of her eye that Squall's arm had been hit. She gasped, but soon realized that most of it had destroyed his shirt, and it only looked like a mild burn on his skin. Apparently, the acid wasn't so accurate either. 

 "WAGHHH!" Yuffie heard Sora yell, and the next moment, she saw yellow shoes streaking past them, running faster than she'd ever seen. Sephiroth came sprinting after him, telling him to stop being such a sissy.

 Hisses and roars were all she heard, and she clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the hideous noises. She only opened her eyes when she felt warmth rush over her, and she realized that they had finally gotten outside. She was deposited back onto her feet, Squall helping her back into her crutches. She noticed that Sephiroth had been the one carrying them, and she wanted to say thank you, but she just couldn't force the words out. She didn't know _how _to say thank you to him. 

 "You ok?" she whispered, stroking Squall's forearm. He was clutching his bicep, wincing in slight pain. 

 "Yeah. Just a burn. I'll be fine." 

 Yuffie smiled, nuzzled his shoulder, and looked around. The sky was unusually clear, and for that she was glad. She hated it when it rained on a fight. The only thing that bothered her was that it was quiet as hell, and Kir was _gone._

They all looked across at the other side of the district, where the others were staying. It was so easy to just walk around and reunite with them after all this time. It took about five minutes, max. 

 "It's not gonna be that easy, is it?" the ninja asked, sighing. They all shook their heads in response. Even as she said this, Sephiroth pointed to the clock tower, where a cat like figure was standing, watching them. More Heartless were springing out, too different and unfamiliar to identify. 

 "Sora, summon Dumbo, fly over there, and get Cloud out here. You and Riku," he looked doubtfully at them. "Just try your best to keep everyone protected. Give Cid a weapon; he can fight too." 

 "Yeep," Sora said, and pointed his Keyblade to the sky. He said a few words, and let a colorful aura envelop his weapon. Despite being half-drunk, Sora gracefully leapt into the air, almost instantly being caught by a humongous elephant. Yuffie nearly lost her eyeballs staring at the thing. 

 "Whew, ish big," Riku said wonderingly. Yuffie arched her eyebrows. So he'd never seen it either? 

 The summon lowered itself onto the floor, making small trumpeting noises as the Heartless started to scrap at his large ankles. Yuffie was hoisted up, and Riku climbed in after her. Yuffie wasn't at all confident in Sora's ability to actually stay _on_ the elephant, but even so, she clutched onto his lean waist, praying he had enough brains to hang onto Dumbo.

 Squall jumped down into the plaza, followed by the tall black-clad general. The female Heartless leapt down from about four and a half stories, dashing toward them with feline poise and agility. She stopped nearly feet in front of them, so that if Squall had moved forward, his nose would've touched her chest.

 "My name is Sphinx."

 Squall stepped back. He could actually feel it-her-_breathing _on him, and it made him uncomfortable. Heartless had **never** been able to breathe. Most of them didn't even have nostrils. Also, the fact that she could talk unnerved him. It felt wrong to fight something that was so close to being human. But then again, maybe that was Kir's intention. 

 "I need to kill Kir," he stated, not liking how friendly this Heartless was. He figured that saying something insulting to her creator would at least get her on the rise. But the yellow eyes only drooped with what could possibly be sorrow. 

 "I can't let you do that." Squall purposely stepped forward again, and he finally saw something flare in Sphinx's eyes. "Take one more step and my defense system will activate," she stated, stepping back. "I won't stop until you're dead." 

 "Or until _you're_ dead," Sephiroth said from behind her, and Sphinx went flying straight into the air, the result from Sephiroth's swing of his sword. The Heartless landed back on the ground, coiled her haunches up like springs, and pounced on the platinum-haired man. She made no noise when she did this and there was no mouth to make a roar. She just looked so…monotonous. 

 Squall hefted his weapon on the shoulder, and ran toward the feline. Her eyes widened a fraction and she bound away quickly. Sephiroth got up from where he'd been shoved to the ground. He had several claw marks on his chest and face. 

 "That hurt," he grunted, rubbing the blood away. They turned to look at Sphinx who held a sword in her hand, and was speeding toward him. "Oh damn it," he grunted, dodging to the side and parrying Sphinx's blow. Squall came at her from behind, and he was rewarded with a forceful kick to the stomach. Her large paw-like foot was nearly as big as his whole stomach, and the impact literally sent him flying. The Gunblade was knocked out of his hands, and before he could overcome the waves of nausea and retrieve it, Sphinx held it in her hands. After that, her movements became a blur. 

 Squall had seen fast moving Heartless before, but never like _this_. Sephiroth, with his ability to rematerialize virtually anywhere was the only one who seemed to be able to keep up with her. They were zipping around each other, like some weird sort of dance. It appeared that the general was having problems blocking both a sword and a Gunblade. 

 "Squall!" 

 The aforementioned man looked up, seeing Cloud running toward him. "Why aren't you fighting?" The blonde knelt down next to the befuddled looking brunette. "You ok?" 

 "Is Yuffie ok?" 

 "Yeah, Leonhart, she's fine. What about you?" The younger man than noticed how Squall was clutching his stomach. Ignoring his protests, Cloud pushed up his shirt, and was met with a very bruised and battered stomach. "Holy cow, it looks like you were shot or something." 

 "I got kicked," he said bluntly. "By Sphinx. I think she had poison or something in her claws, because the bruise feels funny." 

 Cloud glanced over at the fight. Sephiroth seemed to be holding up for the time being. _'Too bad,_' Cloud thought before he could stop himself. He quickly shut his mind off. He really believed that the anger he was harboring for Sephiroth would have faded at least a little. He hated the general on several levels for many personal reasons, but he refused to let it get in the way of the fight. As a mercenary, it was crucial to remember that. 

 "Can you move?" 

 "Maybe. Don't-" Squall cursed and tried to push Cloud away as the blonde lifted him up on his shoulders, letting him lean on him. "My legs weren't hurt you moron; I can walk." 

 "If you could, you probably would've been doing it by now." 

 Squall gritted his teeth, and punched Cloud in the side, although he did it this with surprising gentleness. "Just get me my weapon Strife, before I have a heart attack." 

 A snort was what he got as an answer. "Whatever you say." Squall was let go, and he realized that maybe he did need a little support. He could feel his stomach swelling slightly, and it shocked and disgruntled him that one measly kick could cause him so much pain. That thing-Sphinx-was _strong._

 His aching stomach was telling him that even strong was an understatement. 

 Squall thought it would be wise to tell Cloud to be careful, as the Heartless could probably smash through metal if she wanted to. He just couldn't get the words out though. For some reason, he always had a caring complex, and somehow it _hurt_ to even try and tell people to be watch out. Now it would be his fault if Cloud was wounded, and Aerith would probably punish him in some weird way. 

 He walked over to the small water fountain at the end of the plaza, and stared condescendingly at his own reflection. He felt so _sick._ The bruise was really getting to him. What the hell were in those claws? 

 When he looked at his reflection again, he could see that his own blue eyes had been replaced with yellow ones. He looked up to see about seven Heartless peering down at him, blinking their wide orbs in curiosity. Squall ignored them. They were just those annoying tinker-bell flying things, and the worst they ever did to him was blow dust. 

 He closed his eyes and tried to think, but was rudely interrupted when a fire spell hit him in the back. It didn't really hurt, and only singed his clothes a bit. He glared at the little red Heartless, waving around and trying to get out of his visage. He grunted in annoyance, raised his hand, and smacked the creature so hard it went twirling a few feet back. It made impact with the wall, squeaked, and disappeared. The other Heartless seemed to get the point, and floated away rather pathetically. 

 "Squall!" Cloud was jogging over to him, holding his weapon. The brunette was too exhausted to even ask how he'd gotten the weapon without even getting a scratch. He grabbed it from the blonde's hands, muttering a small 'thanks'. 

 The two of them were about to run over and help Sephiroth when a blizzard spell hit Squall in one of the most uncomfortable places-his ass. 

 "Jesus C-" he began, about ready to kill the little Heartless that decided to come back and try to freeze his bottom. But before he could finish, a large bludgeon came smashing to the ground, and he had to roll to the side to barely avoid it. The ogre like creature hefted it out of the ground. The thing was a dark forest green, with brown eyes, and a large, rotund body. It had some very sporadic horns sticking out of its head and body, and it had a distinct odor that made both men cringe. 

 "That's one of those things that was looking for us," Cloud informed him between dodging clubs. There were five of them in all. The little Heartless danced around their heads; obviously smug they'd found others to avenge their brother's death. 

 "It smells," Squall said to no one in particular but himself, and after deftly avoiding a blow, made a clean cut into the ogre's side. It roared, and faster than Squall had expected, picked him up in its massive fist, and hurled him into the sky. He didn't know if it was fate or not, (he was never much of a believer in that), he managed to land right on Sephiroth, who had previously been shoved to the ground yet again. Although the general had undoubtedly saved him from a few broken bones, he didn't look at all gratified. 

 "I..think…you…winded….me," he gasped, punching Squall roughly in the side. Squall grunted, not feeling that happy either. It wasn't everyday he got smashed up against an ex-murderer.

 "Get up," Sphinx said, standing next to them. "Or die together." 

 _'Right. Like I want to die on top of **him.**' _ Squall stumbled up, looking around for his weapon. He called out to Cloud, but the younger man waved him off. 

 "I'll fight the Heartless! Just get her!" Cloud attacked the ogre that was holding his weapon, and in the next moment, he was reaching up and catching it from the sky. Squall smiled at Sphinx, and the Heartless was taken back slightly. It had been a long time since she'd seen one of those. 

 "Let's dance." 

~*~*~*~*~

 A/N: Ok, I know what you are thinking. WHY MAKE SORA AND RIKU DRUNK!? IS SHE CRAZY?! 

 Yes, I am crazy, just to clear that up. 

 And, I made Sora and Riku drunk for a good reason, people! I needed them to _not_ fight. I didn't want Sora and Riku to fight Kir because that would just be too easy for everyone, and I have other plans. So yeah, I know it's pathetic, but getting them drunk is the only thing I could think of that wouldn't involve them getting knocked out or anything. 

 Oh, and to clear up another thing, I don't like Sora/Riku. That whole kissing thing was just for humor. 


	24. Sweet Healing

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: I do not own it. If it weren't for these FF.net rules, I would've stopped putting these smelly things up a long time ago.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sweet Healing 

'A/N: WAHHH!! Last chapter!! (Besides the epilogue anyways.) I have several things to say before I start this. I know that I've gotten a lot of questions correlated with this story. But, the sad thing is, I can't remember any of them. I swear I went online and started to read all of my reviews to find any of them, but after getting down to the fifteenth chapter, I got so tired of reading that all those letters were blending together. --;; I do remember three quite clearly though. The answers to them are…

No, Sphinx has no relation to Harry Potter. Really, I make these names out of the top of my head. It sucks having to create all of these characters and make them sound original but still likeable. (I know how there's a usual tendency to hate OC's.) But yeah, all these names in the story are unique, and I didn't derive them from anything like another character or such.

Uhh…the reason that Kir was in Atlantica was 'cuz he had planned to meet Sora there. Yep, everything was all planned out in that sicko little mind of his.

Also, remember way back when I asked about if you guys wanted a lemon? Well, my whole plan was to do it (specifically on a request) but I didn't, and I apologize to that person. The thing is, it just doesn't fit in with the whole story. It would seem wrong for Squall to have sex with a sick girl. Yep.

Ok, no more talking.

Please come now I think I'm falling

I'm holding on to all I think is safe

It seems I found the road to nowhere

And I'm trying to escape

I yelled back when I heard thunder

But I'm down to one last breath

And with it let me say, let me say 

Hold me now

I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking

Maybe six feet 

Ain't so far down 

I'm looking down now that it's over

Reflecting on all of my mistakesI thought I found the road to somewhere

Somewhere in His grace

I cried out 'Heaven save me'

But I'm down to one last breath

And with it let me say, let me say 

Hold me nowI'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinkin

Maybe six feet Ain't so far down 

Sad eyes follow me

But I still believe there's something left for me

So please come stay with me 

'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me,

For you and me

For you and me 

Hold me now I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking 

Hold me nowI'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking

Maybe six feet Ain't so far down 

Please come now I think I'm fallingI

'm holding on to what I think is safe

-One Last Breath (Creed)

[scene break]

It was always cold in Hollow Bastion, but that day had been an exception. It had snowed that day, despite being near the beginning of fall. It was an anomaly to even the elders, for the weirdest thing they'd ever seen concerning the weather was when it hailed in the dead of winter. Despite the untimely arrival of the blizzard though, no one was complaining.

"Let's go outside and play!" She would tug jauntily on his pants, trying to usher him outside. He would usually shake her off, telling her that he was too old to play with her. This time though, he said nothing as she pulled him along.

"We can make snowmen, and have snow fights and everything! You won't even have to think about your daddy or anything!"

"That's absurd," he whispered. Of course he would think about his dad. He would think about the way that old man's face saddened when he refused to take the Gunblade and wield it by _his _rules. He could picture his father's face contort as the last of his illness took him, the cancer that he'd harbored for many years overwhelming him. And of course, he'd always be thinking about how the last thing he said to him was said in rage.

_"Shut up old man! Go away and write your damn will!" _

Well, he got his wish. Now, on the same day, a years past since his fathers death, he felt the full blow of his guilt. He wanted to wallow in his grief, but instead he was walking outside with a six year old, preparing to play with her and lift up her pathetic little hopes for a day. _'What's the point? She'll all lose it too someday. Maybe I'm just hurting her by lying to her.' _ He watched the little ninja clutch so lovingly, so _admiringly_, against his arm. She didn't deserve to be put off the way he did. She didn't deserve to have to live in any sort of lie.

"I don't think I won't to play with you," Squall stated bluntly, diverting his gaze from the little girl. If he could not look at her face, then he'd be able to tell it to her-the cold truth. He could feel her grip tighten, and he could envision her sad frown.

"Why? You never want to be with me! Why do you hate me?"

Squall sighed. It was never easy explaining why he was always so bipolar around her. She didn't seem to understand that he wasn't compatible with children. _At all._

"I don't hate you," he said softly, trying to sound as placid as possible.

"Then why don't you play with me!?"

"Because I just don't want to, OK!?"

Damn it, he'd done it again. She let go of his arm, standing sadly at his side. Her arms hung like limp noodles, and her head was drooped in hurt. He glanced around where many people were glaring at him for bursting out at a child. Desperate to not make a scene, he quickly bent down, rubbing Yuffie's arms.

"Shh," he tried to console her. She shook her head, whacking his arms away. She sniffled, wiping her runny nose and blurry eyes on her jacket.

"Leave me alone. I hate you."

Of course. He had no right whatsoever to have any feelings of enmity toward her. She, on the other hand, could be angry with him whenever she wanted.

"No you don't," he said, and he got a good kick in the nuts as her response. He doubled over, and had to wait for a while before all these birds stopped dancing in his visage. He stood up again after a few moments and glowered at her.

"I'm taking you home," he stated purposefully, and scooped her up.

"No!" she screamed, pounding her hands on her chest. "I'LL PLAY BY MYSELF THEN! I DON'T NEED YOU!" she took a moment to wipe away her tears, which had become exceedingly cold on her cheeks. Squall turned his head to the side slightly as he saw a group of girls around his age giggling and watching them. He bit his lip, not letting a blush of embarrassment grace his face. He still hadn't gotten over his adolescent feelings of being discomfited when he was caught doing something weird by his peers. Particularly ones that were from his class.

"You don't like me 'cause I'm not like them," she whispered quietly, she too having noticed the group of near hysterical teens. "I embarrass you. I can see it."

"No you don't," he lied. "You're like a little sister to me." Another lie. In all actuality, having her as a sister was the last thing he wanted. He just _die_ before actually be related to her.

"Play with me then."

"Yuffie," he groaned. "Give it up. You know I don't like to play. Hell, I'm not even sure I know _how. _Can't we just do something that we'll both enjoy?"

"There's nothing we can do that we both like," she pointed out, having stopped crying. She was staring off into the distance, and her next words caught him off guard. "We can visit the dead place, if you want."

'The dead place' was Yuffie's way of saying the graveyard. Squall could feel his throat closing in on itself as he fought to stay breathing and keep from dropping the bundle in his arms. 'The dead place' was the last place he wanted to be, let alone be there with an accompaniment. His father was still fresh in his mind, and he doubted that he'd faced enough atonement to keep him from breaking down.

"I'll hold your hand if you're scared," she said, seeing the look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"It's not that I'm scared," he murmured. He didn't know why, but his feet were already carrying them to the graveyard, close to the church near the edge of town. "I'm just…irresolute."

"Oh," the little brunette whispered, having no idea what 'irresolute' meant. She didn't want to question him though. She liked it when he used big words for some reason. He looked so grown up to her when he did it. "But we're going anyways," she added, spotting the speckles of dying flowers and the protrusions of headstones.

He grunted, his feet sloshing through the newly fallen snow. It was soft and very easy to walk it, but it was making him wet and cold. After their little visit, he would surely rush both of them to a fireplace.

"Which one is it?" she asked. Unable to point, he carried her over to a particularly large half-oval shaped tombstone. Yuffie was put down, and she said nothing as Squall slowly drew to his knees, staring at it with some unnamed emotion. He traced his fingers slowly over the name Laguna Leonhart. He felt choked, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He knew he should be praying, talking, offering something, but he just couldn't do it.

"Hi Uncle Leonhart." Yuffie had faithfully taken it upon herself to speak for both of them. "How are you doing? Is heaven really cool? It's really cold down here. I bet you're the one that made it snow." She looked at how Squall seemed frozen in place. "Squall misses you. I know he won't say it, but I know he does. He loves you." She stopped when she realized that Squall had slid out his legs, so he was lying on the ground. His head was pushed up against the marble stone, and his shoulders were shaking.

"Squall?" she asked worriedly. She didn't know how to deal with grownups crying. She knew how to comfort other kids, but an adult sobbing was a whole other thing to her. When grownups cried, she got scared. "Squall? Are you Ok? I'm sure your daddy loves you too. You don't have to cry…"

"I told him I hated him." He didn't know whom he was even talking to. Himself, Yuffie, his father? His thoughts were jumbled up, making it hard for his sixteen-year old mind to try and keep a level head. "But he just looked at my with that stupid sap smile on his face like he didn't believe me. I HATED IT!" Yuffie whimpered and moved away. He was scaring her.

"I hated the way he talked, the way he was so damn happy all the time. I hated his rules…I HATE YOU LAGUNA!" Yuffie inched forward, wrapping her arms around his side. She buried her little head into his ribcage, breathing in the scent that she seemed addicted to.

"Why'd you have to leave?" he finally asked. He would've felt completely desolate if it wasn't for the small, warm ball clutching to him. "I wasn't ready for you to go…"

"But you loved him right?" Yuffie asked, nuzzling his side. Squall gave a startled jolt at how affectionate she was being, but almost instantly calmed down. She wasn't that bad, he supposed. As an answer, he gave a numb nod.

"I think he knew that too," she said with a smile. "That's why he was always so happy."

"Maybe…it's just hard to let go-"

_Let go._

_ Let go._

"LET ME GO!"

Squall roared as he grabbed Sphinx by the ears and threw her from his back. She was like a leech, crawling her way into his memories and trying to suck him dry. That was the third recollection he had to face and it was making his head spin. He hadn't thought about his father in years. The only reason he would've remembered that day was that that was the one time that he and Yuffie had gotten along, if only for a bit.

"You have more reminiscences than I'd would've expected, Mr. Leonhart," Sphinx said, rubbing her ears. "Or should I just call you Leon now?"

"Stay out of my head," he snapped. "It's Squall."

"It used to be vice-versa of that."

"Shut up." He hated it how she seemed to know everything about him. She'd gotten into his memories by using those claws-damn things-and actually _burrowing_ into his mind. When he'd been kicked, the dizziness he had been feeling was from the venom used to lubricate her fingers and feet to slip into his head. It didn't really hurt since her claws became more of a liquid-state, but it did feel like a worm was eating away at his brains. It was horrible.

"It's funny how I haven't killed you yet," Sphinx said in a thoughtful voice. Squall didn't find it humorous at all, but he kept his mouth shut. "Most would've died from exposure by now." Squall stared at her blankly. She slowly elaborated for his benefit, which surprised him. "A human's mind is very fragile. It cannot be simply unraveled without breaking. My memory drain should be making you forget, but your memory is perfectly fit. Most would've elapsed all by now." She looked intently at him. "It makes me wonder if you really are human."

"I wonder that myself," he said coldly, still feeling the effects of when she had encroached his mind. _'That is so sick…'_

"You're an odd one," Sphinx said, leaning against her sword embedded in the ground. "Most human's don't have the ability to shut off my combat mode."

_'Shut off? So that's why she stopped attacking.' _ "That's nice. I prefer when you don't talk though. I have tendencies not to flirt with animals."

Squall wondered if she had the aptitude to get angry. She had no freedom to herself, and every movement on her part looked like an internal struggle. _'She's too far gone, Leonhart. The best thing to do is put her out of her misery.'_

"I _was_ human once. But I guess I'm just another one that you failed to save. You were always good at that, Leon. Failing."

How far back in his mind did that bitch go? "I was good at winning too." Squall never did put much effort into his self-confidence, and saying such a thing now caused some unbridled emotions to swell. He'd banished his arrogance so long ago…

"I suppose." She suddenly threw her head up to the sky, darting her large yellow eyes around, as if reading the stars. "My master is searching. Sora will be gone soon."

Squall lunged at her without a word. His own body had barely given him consent to move. He grabbed her around the waist, and he felt the recoil in his burnt arm and numbing stomach. It made everything hurt but it would hurt so much more seeing his friends perish…

Friends? His mind questioned him. _'Yes, friends,_' he tried to talk to himself as he wrestled the large and surprisingly disposed cat. She just seemed to lie there like he was a ball of yarn. _'They've always been…comrades. I just have been to much of an ass to admit it.' _

"He's close," she suddenly cried, making Squall think that they must have some sort of connection. He also felt uncomfortable straddling a creature that was screaming such a thing.

"Is he in the house? Where!" He enclosed his arms around her neck, realizing that it was like trying to strangle a giraffe. She had to have more than one vertebra.

"Close. Very close."

Squall looked around, befuddled and perturbed. He suddenly felt an inconsolable hollowness, and he knew not whether it was organic or not. He looked up to the sky, trying to read the stars. Why was he feeling this sudden cavity in his heart? The stars gave no answer, only their steadfast brilliance.

"You feel pain because your love feels pain," Sphinx said beneath him. "Equilibrium. Your hearts balanced on a scale, feeling as a whole."

"Why now?"

"Last stage of the disease: lack of sensation. She relies only on her heart now, when her body fails her. She takes life from you, and as long as she lives with this, you will share the weight of her agony."

How did she know all this? She had her own empty gaze, as if reliving something.

…Could it be possible she went though the same thing?

Squall bounded off of her, using the momentum of his shove to bring him in a running stride toward the Parson's house. He didn't hear Sphinx pursuing him; only the heavy pounding of his feet seemed to resound in his ears. His ears rung from the lingering voices from his past, and he fought to keep his mind completely on the present.

A subtle swishing noise was made off to his left, along with a black blur. Squall stopped dead short in front of Sphinx, who was waggling her finger like he was a disobedient child.

"Your fight is with me, Mr. Leonhart."

Squall didn't want his damn fight to be with her. He wanted to be protecting Yuffie. There were so many people he had to protect, and she was standing in the way of all of them. He was about to tell her he didn't have the time, when a window to the Parson's house shattered, earning a livid scream from within.

[scene break]

Aerith was attempting to usher Kairi and Shera upstairs, trying to soothe them. Kairi kept yelling randomly for Sora and Riku, angry and afraid that Sora had taken the Keyblade from her hands. The redhead raged incessantly, demanding that she be let down to see what was happening to her friends. Shera was just pissed that her husband had dared to fight without telling her that he'd be ok.

Aerith, all gentleness and poise pushed aside, ending up casting a powerful sleep spell on both of them. She hid them beneath the elevated bed of the Parson's on the second floor, hoping that because the heartless did not see them, they would not be bothered. Fortunately, there were no windows in this room for them to get in to.

…or for those two to get out of.

The pink-clad girl hurried downstairs, barely missing a firaga spell flying by her ear and singeing the wall. Spotting a little group of Red Nocturnes tinkling a around, she quickly cast blizzaga, quickly sending the little hellions to their doom. From then on, it was mostly safe for her to just cast spells from the stairs.

Cid was fighting Kir, who looked almost bored. It shocked him that the burns from the Holy magic that Aerith had cast had completely healed over. Kir was as right as rain, with Cid tiring fast. He was exchanging blows with Kir's two daggers and his own spear, called the Venus Gospel. The gummi dealer figured that the only reason that Kir was fighting him was that he was waiting for Sora to become sturdy, or for Yuffie to get up from where she'd been knocked down.

Sora, going to great lengths to get his mind cleared, had even resorted to banging his head against the wall, that of which was quickly cut short by Riku. The boy was now clutching an aching head and trying to stop Heartless to fly before his eyes.

"They're flying," Sora said dumbly, taking a swipe at one. He felt his hand make contact with something damp and cold.

"Of course they're flying," Riku snapped as he watched Sora's hand take out a Green Lantern. Riku didn't know that Sora was half-hallucinating, and was having a hard time telling what was real and what wasn't.

Sora contributed his part by just simply slapping the little Heartless into oblivion. Riku, whose queasy stomach was making his face turn a light shade of green, just helped to trip any creature that happened to pass while he leaned against the wall.

"I'll kill you," Yuffie said vehemently as she weakly took a hold of one of Kir's ankles. He grunted and made a swift quick, nearly gouging her eye. She feebly blocked it with her other arm, trying to stop him from stomping on her. As she clutched to his leg, she felt the effects of her disease flash before and in her.

Blindness. Hallucinations. Amnesia. Nausea. Muteness. Insomnia. Deafness. Lethargy.

The influence the disease had on her changed every few moments. First all she would see was blurred shapes; hear words that had no meanings. Then, her arms would weaken, her vision going blank. She tried to yell several times, finding that she couldn't. Often she'd regained all of her senses, only to realize that she could barely breathe, or she'd see horrific figures. The pressure of the infection came crashing down on her like an ocean, drowning her in it's frigidness. She was far from being cold though.

Her body burned so badly, worse than she'd ever experienced. She tried pictured being caught on fire in a sauna-that didn't even compare to what she was feeling. The venereal malady caused ripples of excruciating, smoldering pain to run through her entire body. Not even her face was free of the agony.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Kir asked from above her, as he carelessly parried a blow from Cid. "Your body's homeostasis can't work fast enough to balance the heat with cold in your body, so it's starting to give up and shut down. That won't be as bad as you think. Once everything shuts off, you won't have to feel pain anymore. Just die numb."

"I'd rather live in pain than die without feeling," Yuffie ground out, swiftly taking a shuriken from her pocket and shoving it into his calf. He roared, his eyes flashing brightly, causing more Heartless to inhabit the room, and leaving more work for Aerith to do.

Using that same familiar light that had shot Cloud back, Cid was soon flung back against the wall, unconscious. Aerith's eyes widened, and quickly cast Cura on him, trying to ignore the way the heartless were irately inching toward her.

Kir reached down and pulled Yuffie up by her wrist, looking her straight in the eye. It hurt her too much to return his gaze. She'd never seen eyes so cruel in her life. Squall's eyes might as well be called joyous compared to his.

"Oh Yuffie, don't talk as if you're actually going to live. It just doesn't work that way."

"What doesn't work that way?" she demanded, lifting up her arm and stabbing him with another shuriken, this time in his left tricep. He smiled cordially as if she'd just kissed him. "Life? You don't know anything about life. You spent the whole of yours on grudges and hatred. You don't what life means."

She smiled triumphantly as he narrowed his orange eyes at her, dragging her closer and forcing her up against him. She glared up at him defiantly, continuing. "What then? Fate? We both know you don't rely on that. If you believed in such things, you wouldn't have made up such an elaborate, foolproof plan to defeat us. So what Kir? What doesn't work that way?"

Kir, surprisingly, had no answer. He just stood there, staring down at her. Roars and yells of spells raged on around her, but all she could focus on was the two of them, and the tension surrounding them. He was looking at her with such determination that she was nearly thinking that he'd just given up everything just to stare at her face. His grip tightened on her arms and he pulled her even closer, if that was possible. Yuffie had an undeniable suspicion that he was going to kiss her. Suddenly though, he threw her back, causing her to stumble and fall down again…

…but not before she saw the flash of fear in his eyes.

"Kill her," he said curtly, still looking half-shaken. She felt the heat of the crackling fireplace leave her as a large spider heartless leaned over her. "Kiss her." With that comment, he was gone out the window, leaving the whole room drafty and livid.

"Kiss me?" she managed to ask.

"Yuffie, it's a black widow!" Aeirth screamed in the background just as the heartless opened its mouth to reveal three rows of gnashing, gyrating teeth. The 'kiss her' comment referred to the neon green outline around its orifice that was used to tranquilize and incapacitate it's prey before it ate it. It let out an uncharacteristic roar, splattering black blood over her face. …It ate Heartless?

She screamed and reared as it nimbly jumped forward, slobbering the floor she was previously on. Robbed of her crutches long ago, she struggled to her feet. Sadly, her legs betrayed her, refusing to support her weight. She crumbled in a corner, only a foot away from the spider.

"Firaga!" Aerith yelled, hitting the creature in its thorax. Her eyes nearly popped out when she saw it nearly purr in elation. _'What th-' _Oh crud. She noticed the triangular red sign where the spell had struck. He had a fire constituent.

Desperate to help Yuffie get over her great detriment, Aerith cast a flurry of Blizzaga and Wateraga spells, making the creature change from moaning to screeching and hissing.

"Get up, get up!" Yuffie commanded herself. She felt like Sephiroth was controlling her again, with no will of her own. Her body refused to obey her mind, and she just sat there in a jumbled heap, staring helplessly at the screaming spider above her. Those gnashing teeth were sure to give her nightmares in the future.

_'The future,'_ she thought abruptly, managing to inch back a little bit. _'Was that what Kir was talking about? He is really that convinced that he'll be in power by then, and we'll be dead?' _ It seemed like the only logical answer…

Speaking of logical, what was that about? He was holding her like he loved her one second, then tossing her like she was a leper the next. She knew fear when she saw it, and he definitely harbored a lot in his normally fierce gaze. Did he see something in her eyes that he didn't expect to see?

Deciding that she wasn't going to just sit on her rump while Aerith exhausted herself, she pulled out eight shuriken, efficiently taking out the heartless' eight eyes. It screeched, freezing over from Aerith's spells. Yuffie looked at the crystallized creature, and hesitantly reached up and poked it. It instantly shattered, crumbling to the floor. Yuffie bit her lip as she noticed several of the shards slice her legs, but she felt nothing. Deciding to keep quiet about the lack of sensation in her legs, she started to moan, asking Aerith to lift her up.

"Are you hurt?" Aerith made her way over to her, mother like and solicitous. She spotted Yuffie's bloodied up legs. "Oh Yuffie!" she cried, hugging her consolingly. She darted her eyes when she heard a loud thump. "You two were no help," she commented, sounding angry. Sora looked sheepishly at her while picking up the chair he had knocked over. "Standing in the corner and slapping heartless to death is no big feat."

"I felt dizzy, ok?" Sora said defensively, feeling odd that he had to do such a thing against Aerith. "I mean, you try and fight with a hangover."

"I'm smart enough not to do that," Aerith said elegantly, reverting back to her old self. "That doesn't matter now. It can't be helped. For now, just go and check on Cid. I'll tend to Yuffie."

The boys silently did what they were told, going over and looking at Cid's nasty bruises. Aerith, meanwhile, leaned over the ninja, staring at the eyes that used to hold so much life. Now they held a bleak hollowness to them, filled only with droplets of fear.

"I hate…spiders," she said after awhile. "Really, truly hate them." She glanced down at her legs, remembering they were supposedly in pain. "Can you heal them?"

"After picking out the shards, yes." Yuffie waited patiently as she did so. The pieces were mostly little specks, but Aerith wasn't going to take any chances. It surprised her that such little things could cause so much pain.

No. Not pain. No pain. That's the problem.

Unfortunately, the shards were the least of her worries. The real shock came when Aerith attempted to heal her legs, finding that they brutally rejected her spell. Instead Yuffie's legs became quite pallid, and she only bled some more.

"Yuffie…your legs…."

"I know, Aerith," Yuffie said distractedly, not looking her in the eye. "They're dead already, Aer. There's nothing I can do about it for now. I know I'll be fine once I defeat Kir."

"But Yuffie!" Aerith cried with anguish, trying fruitlessly to bottle up her frustration, anger, and worry. "You need your legs to fight him! You need to move!" Her shrill pleads were attracting the attention of Riku and Sora. The brunette blushed and composed herself for a moment, speaking in a quieter voice. "I won't let you do this."

"Aerith , I will not argue with you on this matter. I already went through hell just to convince Squall, and I refuse to have to convince you. We both know I have to do this."

Her older friend stared at her for a moment, finally speaking near a whisper. "No, I don't know. Why do you have to do it Yuf? Out of all the people, why you?"

"I-" she cut herself off. "Because I have to ok? Something is just telling me I have to."

"YUFFIE!"

Both women looked up, with one smiling comically. "Here's your knight," Aerith whispered, watching as Squall found where they were sitting behind the counter, and nearly tripping over himself when he saw Yuffie's legs.

"What'd you do?!" Squall demanded.

"ME?! This isn't my fault you moron!!" Yuffie yelled, wondering how in the world they could possibly be getting into a fight at a time like this.

"I didn't say it was your fault," he said softly, seeming to realize the same thing she had. "I just want to know who-or what-did this to you."

"A spider."

"A _spider,_" he repeated incredulously. Yuffie frowned and waved her hands in the air. "A really big one, ok!?" she said protectively. "With a bajillion teeth and everything!"

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to figure out how you can get cut by frost with a spider." Before Yuffie could even open her mouth, Squall stopped her with his hand. "Don't tell me it spit out ice too."

"Fire," she corrected him, ignoring the way he was staring at her. "It could spit fire. But anyways, I got cut with shards because Aerith used Blizzaga on it, and I was stupid enough to touch it."

"Oh Yuf," he said softly. The shinobi looked up at him, finally taking in his image. He looked horrible. He was nearly drenched in sweat, his skin had an odd tinge to it, and he had several cuts adoring his body, all having the resemblance of an animal's claws.

"What happened to you?"

_"I don't care if you try and stop me, but I'm going to get to that house." The man stated coldly, glaring apathetically at the large cat standing before him. "Move." _

_ "No. I have my orders." _

_ Squall sighed, having no more desire to talk to this creature. She had been surprisingly friendly and laid-back during their time together, and she had even taken the liberty of conversing with him on several accounts. Now, with the thought process that Yuffie was getting worse_ _by the minute, all he wanted to do was defeat her. The only problem was, how do you defeat something that doesn't deserve to be defeated? _

_ "I don't think you deserved this," Squall said, hefting his Gunblade and holding it so the tip of it barely touched her nose. She was like Aerith-gentle, open, and sadly, easily pushed around. The only thing fueling her forward was the strict commands Kir had given her. If not for him, he was sure that she'd probably be helping them by now. "If you don't start to think for yourself, you're going to get killed." _

_ "I'm heartless. I don't have a brain to think with." _

_ "Do you really believe that?" _

_ She was silent for a long time, her breath coming down in soft wisps. It had gotten colder, he noted. Unfortunately he didn't have a jacket. He looked at Sphinx's streamlined body, and the way she seemed to be puffing out cold air, and holding in all the warmth. '_Of course she isn't cold. She was made to be impermeable.'

_Without warning, Sphinx suddenly fell to her knees, her small carved mouth opening wide to show an endless hole of darkness, in which a loud, piercing scream was elicited. She crumbled, falling onto her behind, clutching her calf. She seemed to be experiencing extreme pain, although he saw no source for it. Did she pull a ligament or something? _

'Ligament? …Do Heartless have anything inside of them to begin with?' _After all, when she'd opened her mouth, all he saw was black. Maybe she really was empty._

_ But emptiness didn't have feelings. _

_ She bit her lower lip, clenching her eyes shut. Slowly, she seemed to calm. She breathed heavily for a few moments, gripping her leg so hard that it looked like she was going to rip it off. She finally let out of her leg, panting softly. _

_ "Are…" Squall couldn't say it. How could he possibly ask 'are you ok?' Of course, there were so many cruel angles to that question. Not only that, would he be in his right mind actually showing concern for a heartless? "What was that?" he asked instead._

_ "I-" she was cut off yet again, this time clutching her tricep. She didn't scream this time; only bit her lip harder than before. She was having an internal struggle, and Squall had to root himself to the floor to not help her. She looked like an animal but she felt like a human…_

_ It was a horrible existence indeed. _

_ She looked to be crying now, the tears maroon and thick in color. She opened her mouth and made a small whimpering noise. She looked at him through blurred eyes, watching as he slowly dropped his weapon, hesitantly reaching down and cautiously putting a hand on her shoulder. _

_ "I'm….I'm like you." _

_ "I don't understand." _

_ Sphinx looked up at him, her eyes bleeding. "I feel…what he feels. Like how she is one with you, I am one with him." _

_ Squall swallowed the lead weight in his throat, slowly realizing what she was saying. He felt what Yuffie was feeling because she was losing control of her body. She felt his pain because he had created her for that soul purpose. He was also supposedly unbeatable, unable to feel anything, and yet this heartless was moaning in agony from his supposed pain. He loved Yuffie…so did that mean…._

_ Did Sphinx actually love Kir?_

_ "I'm two years younger than him," she suddenly began to talk. "I've always been his childhood friend, even when no one else would. He was weird, I admit that. One time…he poked himself with a needle trying to sew something. I asked him if it hurt. Instead of answering me, he took my hand and stabbed my finger with the needle, saying we felt the same thing now. He was a bit of a sadistt, but I still cared about him. But then…" she trailed off, staring at her black hands. "But then he used me. He told me that it would keep us together forever, but he just wanted me to act as a receptor for his pain. As long as I live, he can't die." Sphinx stared up at him, silently pleading. "I know I have to die. Please, make it quick. Then send him after me. I know he's bad now, but I still want to be with him in purgatory." _

_ "You-" Squall closed his eyes. How could she love a monster like that? She was willing to die for him, even though he couldn't care less about her. But she was nearly begging him for this, and he knew it had to be done. _

_ For Yuffie. For everyone._

_ "Alright. Close your eyes." He picked up his sword, putting it on his shoulder. "Lie face down. Just…think…about anything but this." _

_ There were so many things telling him not to do it…to just walk away._

_ If only it was that easy._

_ "Thank you," she whispered. She closed her eyes and pictured herself human, when everything seemed fine and dandy. And, when Kir wasn't so bad. _

_ Squall bit his cheek so hard it bled. The sound of metal hitting stone rang out, empty and sad. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound that was common when a heartless was dissipated. He was alone, he realized. Cloud must've carried out his battle into another district. Now, he stood alone with his Gunblade, but even that he couldn't trust anymore. He looked down at it, surprised to still see the black blood there._

_ A reminder…?_

_ A sudden jolt in his legs brought him out of his guilty reverie. He would think about his condemnations that he had to atone for later. _

_ Yuffie came first._

"Sphinx," Yuffie said quietly, crying. She'd never even met the creature and already she was bawling. "We'll make a service for her. Kir doesn't deserve anybody. Nobody at all." She looked at the uncomfortable way Squall had taken to leaning against the counter. "You can feel it?"

"Hell yeah," he muttered, squeezing his legs. He felt it about as much as Satan felt anger on Christmas. "Burns almost as bad as your cooking does."

"Oh I love you," she said sarcastically. She watched as Aerith inspected her legs, nearly going up into her shorts. "Your lucky my disease isn't syphilitic. Or rather, Squall's lucky. Wouldn't want his balls to start shriveling or something."

"I think ya need a mute button."

"Cid!" Yuffie sang, looking up at the battered pilot. "You've told me that a million times before."

"Yeah, well the millionth and one time is the charm."

"Yuffie, aside from your legs, the rest of your body seems to be fine. Most importantly, your systole is normal, which is very important for the transportation of your blood cells and what not." She looked doubtfully at her legs. "But even so, you're at a great disadvantage Yuffie. You have no idea what he could really do."

"I know, but that's the whole point of fighting him, isn't it? And what the shimmy shod is my systole?"

"The rhythmic contractions of your heart. Without it you'd be dead."

"Oh joy." She let Squall bend down and lift her back up to her feet, wincing as he did so. Did he bear the same scars that she did, or did he just carry the pain? She felt onerous now more than ever.

"How can you be so happy?" Riku asked, wobbling up to them. His eyes were clearing, and he bore into her with those same piercing eyes that brought many people to their knees.

"Cuz' I can. Stop being such mohairs! I mean come on! It's bad enough being in this situation, but being pessimistic is even worse. I don't know about you guys, but this personality helps me through this."

"Mohairs…" Yuffie looked up at Squall, wondering if she had made him angry with her gung-ho attitude. Her eyebrows tilted up slightly when she saw that his shoulders were shaking. He had his hands covering his face, but she could see tinges of pink where his fingers didn't hide his cheeks.

"Are you laughing?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder. He seemed to find the word very humorous.

"When did you study up on angora?" Cid asked dumbly. "Either that or you're keeping some secret past from us." (A/N: Don't get it? Mohair is the term used to refer to the hair on an angora goat.)

"I was an angora chicken in my past life."

"How can you guys be joking at a time like this?" Kairi asked, walking shakily down the stairs. She had little clumps of dust clinging to her red hair, which now looked dull from the filth under the bed. "There are more important things to be worrying about here."

"We know that Kai, but Yuffie just gave us some inspiration." Kairi looked at Sora oddly. "The inspiration to be goat herders." He laughed, quickly shutting his mouth when Kairi raised her hand threateningly, like she was going to slap him. "Come on, I was kidding. Just calm down Kairi."

"He's right. We need all the sanity we can get…" Cid muttered, intent on lighting a cigarette to soothe his nerves. He ended up cursing up a storm when he found his matches missing and his lighter broken. "#$%& matches…there ain't no goddamn way I can light this dang thing now…"

"The fireplace," Yuffie said, quickly adding, "not that I support your cancerous addictions. If I could, I'd throw all your damn cigarettes away while you slept."

"But fearing for your ass you haven't done that yet," Cid retorted smartly, even so going over to the fireplace. A loud smash was heard, and they looked over to where they had pushed the Parson's into their own closet. 'All for their safety' they had assured them as the door was nearly slammed in their face.

"No smoking in this house!" Claire yelled, surprising everyone that she'd heard him. After all, she wasn't known to have the best of hearing. A few run-ins with the Traverse Town law enforcement team had proved that.

"Awright awright, don't get your knickers in a twist," Cid muttered, putting the cigarette in his back pocket. He had an undeniable longing for tobacco now. Too bad that Shera had thrown them all in the waterway. No way in hell was he chewing on a sodden, shit-infested shag.

"Heaven's, I just darn gone had the biggest scare of my life," Pierre breathed, putting his hand on his chest to steady himself. "Those screams were so loud I nearly had a hernia."

"That would've been just dreadful! He's already had one, and I don't think his soul can take another one," Claire explained, silently taking inventory with her eyes. "Those creatures really cause a havoc everywhere they go." No one seemed to have enough heart to tell her the only reason the Heartless had come here was because they were here.

"We'll pay for anything damaged," Squall spoke out. They had an unlimited amount of munny in the bank that they'd gotten from the Heartless. They had so much of it, that it wouldn't even seem crazy to just give it out. "For now, we have to leave."

"You can't leave!" Mrs. Parson cried, pulling on her graying hair. "What if they come back?"

"They're not looking for you, so I highly doubt they'll be returning." Squall looked distantly out the window. "Besides, we have a friend to find." Heaven only knew where in the world Cloud was prancing around at the moment.

They quietly said their goodbyes, all whispering it in whatever way they felt comfortable. For the most part, that was not even saying goodbye at all. It was implied in their eyes though. It was in that moment that they would've preferred to leave themselves behind, for they all knew that they could get in the way of their own intentions.

Sadly, sometimes even the intentions betrayed them.

"All of you go and find Cloud. Once you locate him, go to Merlin's House and stay there. The front entrance is boarded up, so you'll have to go through the waterway. If any heartless manage to perforate the boards, hide in the storybook. The Heartless can't sense you in there. I'll stay with Yuffie."

All of them silently went together, leaving Yuffie and Squall standing in the frigid cold. Rather, leaving Squall standing. He was carrying Yuffie, who was breathing coldly against his chest. Both of their bodies were giving minimal heat, and the spaces between them felt colder than ice. They stood quietly for a moment, just staying there and thinking. Squall tilted his head up to the sky, blowing out a narrow breath of mist.

"He's not invincible anymore," he whispered softly. "His love is dead…"

"If I died…would you be un-invincible too?" The ninja looked up at her solemn boyfriend, waiting for an answer. He frowned and thought for a moment.

"I'm not invincible Yuf. I just act it." He tightened his arms around her, even though it made his whole body ache to do so. Even now he fought to keep his arms from trembling from her weight. "But I would go crazy if you died."

"Well, to save the mental institution workforce from all that grief, I'll beat Kir," Yuffie said brightly, even though her voice was barely above a whisper. She looked up into his face that was carved like marble-the face of a god. "I could do it right now," she whispered. "In an hour he could be dead and everything will be ok…"

"What are we going to do after?" she suddenly asked, her arm gripping his black shirt. "How is everything going to go back to normal?"

"Our memories will be the only thing that don't revert back, Yuf," the brunette said, slowly starting to walk to ward away the numbness in his legs. "Don't worry. Everything will be ok." He was silent until they got into the third district. "But I need to know. I need to hear it. How are you going to do it?"

"I'll use my head," she said with a light smile. "My heart, and everything else I got under my belt. Honor, determination, experience! I got this down!"

"Whatever makes your tea seep."

"I don't like tea unless it has seven spoons of honey."

"Jesus Christ."

The atmosphere of the third district made them stop dead in their tracks. Obviously Kir had set up a residency there. All the lights had been smashed, shards littering the ground in small piles. Walls were crumbling with cracks inching through them. Wires crackled and flayed like venomous snakes, curling like they had a life of their own. The ground had become cracked and raised in uneven out juts, making it hard to walk. Third district had become cold, abandoned, and pretty much trashed.

"He's here," Yuffie said, observing how one man could lay ruin to a whole district. "For some one so high on the chain of aristocracy, he sure likes living like the dregs of society."

A rat scurried unobtrusively across their path, careful not to interrupt the two humans. "He's trying to prove something by showing us what he can do." Squall was squinting, barely able to see anything. The moon cast some light, but the high walls of the Third District cast shadows all around, and they both knew anything and everything could be lurking in there. "I can't see Yuf."

"I can't either, but I can sense things. I don't think anybody is here."

Squall got a premonition that she was gravely wrong. A soft thump and a silhouetted figure proved him right. For once he wished he wasn't.

"A ninja who can't even predict where her opponent is," Kir drawled slowly, smiling. "I feel really sorry for the bastard who had the pain of teaching you such useless tricks."

"Shut up!" she snarled, eyes flashing like an enraged tiger did to its prey. "Don't talk about my old man that way when yours is a self-righteous pig!"

"Touché," Kir said, pulling out his dagger. He took his time rubbing his finger up and down the flat side, carefully avoiding the edges. He cast them a long, malicious glance. "You killed Sphinx."

"She asked me to."

Kir sighed, pulling out this other dagger and filing them against each other. "She always was like that…even with that chip in her she couldn't seem to get that stick of justice out of her ass."

"She loved you and you don't care."

The boy smiled, brushing back his golden locks, and shaving off a few when his dagger was raised. "No, not really. She was always doing the right thing. It was annoying." He smirked at Yuffie, rubbing the dagger dangerously across his lips. "Legs failing you?"

"No more than your heart has," she snapped viciously. Kir clucked his tongue, slowly walking to the side, staring at them from an angle. Squall could barely see his expression as he talked, but he didn't need to. He could hear the hissing anger in his voice.

"I might just cut off your tongue before I finish you off. You're quite the talkative little wench." He flipped his daggers backward so that the hilt faced them and the points faced his armpits. Yuffie was unfamiliar of such a fighting stance. She'd heard of that backwards sort of style coming from the more Eurasian worlds, but not from Hollow Bastion. But then again, with all the power Ansem had inherited, he probably had kidnapped someone from those worlds just to teach his son their style.

"You're constantly in the way," he continued. "My fight is with Sora, not you. But judging from when I last saw him, he's not exactly fit to even be standing, is he?"

"He got drunk, so what? You're drunk too. Off your own power." Yuffie had never heard herself snarl and hiss so much. She had to wonder if she had some feline blood infused into her. Not even when faced against Squall had she been so snarly.

"Shut up," he muttered, eyes glowing like orbs right out of the fires of hell. Heartless suddenly spiraled out of the ground, tearing at Squall's legs. He cursed violently, trying to dodge their needy hands. Yuffie could only watch and cuss along with him, trying to ignore the fact that she was being such a burden.

"Yuf I have to put you down," Squall said, adding as an afterthought when he felt his leg start to bleed, "now." He stepped backwards, hissing as he realized he'd just stepped on one of their claws. "I can't see them Yuffie. If I had my Gunblade, I could emit enough light from it to save us both."

"They'll get me," she whimpered. Squall shook his head and jumped a bit to the side.

"Trust me, they won't. I need to put you down to get rid of them."

Without even waiting for her answer, he nearly dropped her on the floor. The Heartless were gripping his legs like leeches, and he had to fight to be able to put her down relatively gently. She sat there with her shuriken in hand, ready to smash up any that came near her. None did though. They were all attracted to the neon blue glow of Squall's sword as he used the light to dissipate most of them.

A tingling sensation that made her skin crawl caused her to stare straight ahead. Yuffie gulped, realizing that Squall had made a big mistake in assuming that the Heartless wouldn't get her. Now she was stuck with the worst Heartless of all-Kir.

His ginger eyes burned with a radiance of the devil, and she could see the glint of the daggers reflecting off of Squall's sword. Squall's voice and the sounds of battle seemed to be fading, and all she could see was Kir's eyes and hear her own erratic heartbeat. She had been talking of how she would beat him, but now she was nearly paralyzed with fear.

_'He'll kill me,' _she thought irrationally_. 'He standing right there and he can kill me.' _ She felt like her stomach was coiling around her spine as he walked closer. Every step seemed to echo off the cracked and eroded ground, and she could feel every vibration shaking her to the core. She couldn't think of a time when she was more afraid. Hell, she couldn't even think anymore.

"Scared Yuffie?" he started to clap his hands. Yuffie listened silently, realizing the quickness of his hands was the same beat and rate that her heart was going. Could he hear it, like the Heartless could? Did they all know how scared she was? "If I were you, I'd be terrified."

"I _am_ terrified," she whispered, wondering why the hell she was telling him this. She stared longer into his eyes, feeling like her whole heart could just come spilling out. Maybe he wasn't so bad…

**No.**

_'His eyes!_' her mind screamed at her. _'Don't look at his eyes!' _ She felt herself being pulled into hypnotic gaze. Her body was starting to relax, lulled by his eyes and by the beat of her heart. So tired…

**What are you doing?**

Somebody was trying to tell her something, a low voice whispering through the haze. She ignored it, putting up her hand. She'd felt this before. When she was in the gummi ship, sitting there with him, she'd felt it before. That's when she'd touched his hand and he'd removed it like she burned him. But who had burned who?

He was standing above her, looking calm and completely cool. He seemed to be beckoning to her, but to what, she didn't know. He started to talk, low whispers that nearly sent her mind into oblivion.

**Let's go visit the morgue, Yuffie.**

"Squall?" she asked softly. It was certainly his voice, and slowly Kir faded away to show Squall when he was seventeen. She looked down at her hands, realizing that they were the small and chubby ones she had when she was six.

**Don't be afraid. It's just me. Come on, I want to see the cemetery before my dad gets home.**

"Dad?" she asked, not liking how her voice had turned young and squeaky. "Your dad is dead Squall." He was smiling, something he had never done at that age. What was going on? Why was she young again? The younger Squall frowned and gently rubbed her head.

**You're crazy Yuf. He's alive.**

"I'm not crazy! He died last year, in December! I swear it! And why are you so young? Where'd Kir go?"

**You're being so silly Yuffie. Is Kir your imaginary friend?**

"No!" she nearly yelled with frustration. "Kir is Ansem's son! You know, the one that's trying to beat the shit out of us right now? The one that wants to kill Sora and take over the whole damn universe? THAT KIR!?"

**Don't curse. And Ansem doesn't have a son, Yuffie.**

While she had ranted, Squall had dragged her over to the cemetery, but something bothered her. Deeply disturbed her, in fact. They had walked past a gate that clearly said 'Hollow Bastion Morgue' but she saw no tombstones. None but one.

"What the hell is going on? Why is there only one tombstone?"

**Everyone lives forever here. You know that.**

"Not really." They walked closer to the tombstone and Yuffie suddenly got an irrational premonition that made her whole body shiver. "Who's dead then? What's going on?" she demanded again. She clutched his larger hand, trying to pull back, but he wouldn't let her. "I don't want to see who's dead, Squall."

**Of course you do.**

"No," she begged weakly as he dragged her over, nearly throwing her across the ground. He took her head in his hands, causing her to scream and bite and kick. He frowned and slapped her across the cheek. Stunned from his violence, she was only able to move before it was too late. He held her small arms behind her back, forcing her to kneel so he could step on her legs. Holding her head up with one hand, he forced her to look at the name inscribed there.

_Yuffie Kisaragi._

_Birthdate:Unknown_

_Death: 2004. Died of terminal disease. _

Yuffie nearly screamed, trying to clench her eyes shut. "Leave me alone Squall. This isn't real. None of this is real!"

**Don't argue with me, Yuffie. If you argue, I won't love you anymore.**

"Not true," she gritted through tears. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD KIR!" she screamed and managed to free her hands, which she used to claw viciously at the imposter Squall. He growled and fell back, and for an instant she saw his blue eyes go orange. Groping at her sides, she was surprised to feel a shuriken there, although none showed on her six-year-old clothes. She hurled it as best she could, watching in horror as Squall deflected it. But Kir's anger at her resistance had caused the vision to waver, and she saw the Third District blurrily coming back into view.

"I can give you everything you want, Yuffie." Kir said, voice laden thick with sweetness. She refused to be persuaded though.

"Shut up Kir, you can't give me anything but a pot of shit and misery." A low hum made her smile. Squall landed directly behind him, and Kir barely had enough time to dodge out of the way as the Gunblade known as Lionheart came swiping horizontally.

"Hah!" she yelled victoriously. "Not so invincible now are you?" She closed her eyes, whispering a few words. A large, transparent, and blue shuriken appeared between her outstretched arms. She remembered how she had summoned it on Sora. She also remembered how he had run for his life trying to get away from it. Quickly targeting it on the younger man, she unleashed it into the darkness.

The large shuriken flew like a shooting star, going straight for Kir. He growled and did a messy form of a dodge roll to get away from both of their attacks. While her homing star drove Kir nuts, she quickly cast various forms of Fire and Gravity, enjoying now Kir had to actually work to avoid everything. It was sweet revenge to see him struggle.

Kir summoned some more Heartless, which were quickly dispatched by Yuffie. She did all of this while sitting down, concentrating between her own attacks and watching the sword battle between Kir and Squall.

"She's going to die," Kir said, trying to break Squall's stoic mask. Apparently, even Ansem's son couldn't stand staring into Squall's eyes for long. "And so are you."

"In your own wet dreams," Squall growled, shoving him back and causing him to hit one of the uneven surfaces. Kir made a gagging sound as the sharp edge slashed his back. With a loud cuss and an inappropriate sign with his finger, Kir sent a flurry of white hot flashes at Squall. The Gunblade wielder, not know what kind of magic it was, barely moved out of the way as they went spiraling in the air, turning around to dive back at him. While he fought against Kir's homing magic, Kir fought off Yuffie's.

"This is getting annoying," Kir muttered, sending Squall flying back with one flick of his wrist. Yuffie's stomach was one in the process of shattering her spine. Kir suddenly summoned a large 'machina' Heartless. The large coils it possessed snaked around Squall's arms, pulling them to the limit. Suddenly the chords bend backwards, twisting his arm in the process. A sickening crunch was heard as Squall's arm broke. He grunted in pain, closing his eyes as more coils wrapped around his stomach, holding him in the air and suffocating his lungs.

_'No. Please don't hurt him. Don't even touch him.'_

"I think I'll torture you first for being such a bother," Kir said thoughtfully. He snapped his fingers, making Yuffie scream for him to stop it. The Heartless responded, doing the same movement as before, making another part of Squall's bone shatter.

The machine hissed as several shuriken suddenly came flying at it, severing most of its chords. It whined and whirred, red eyes glaring at her. The metallic coils shot out at her, wrapping firmly around her waist. It mercilessly dragged her across the ground, smashing her right up against its side. She cast her eyes to Squall, who was clenching his eyes shut in pain. She could see blood seeping through the coils that held his chest.

"Ah, the great Leonhart crushed like a piece of compost. Quite fitting for a worthless pile like him."

"You'll kill him!" Yuffie screamed, her voice shrill and alien to her. She supposed that was because of the chord wrapped around her neck. "Damnit let him go!" She managed to get a hold of another shuriken, sending it straight at the Heartless' eye. It screeched, enraged. It lifted all of its left tendrils, throwing Squall like a rag doll. He hit the wall hard enough to cause a dent. He slid silently to the floor, leaving a trial of blood along the wall. He was unconscious.

The ninja, crying out of rage and grief, cast several rounds of Thundaga, making the machina shriek and roar like an animal. The tendrils of metal flew and smashed into walls, tearing down telephone poles and breaking up the water fountain. Kir stood in front of them, where the coils did not reach them. He seemed to be enjoying every minute of her pain. And he was.

Her mind had gone completely rash as she cast more spells. She cast until she felt the veins in her arms start to burn and her throat go dry. At the rate she was sending them, her arms could be burned forever and proved useless, but she didn't care. If Squall was dead, she just didn't care.

The machine whirred it's last, and slowly started to crumble. Yuffie realized her critical mistake as the Heartless started to collapse into the large hole that her spells had caused. The creature started to sink into the cracked ground, taking her with it. It's internal systems exploded and sent sparks everywhere, most of them flying onto her skin and burning her.

_'I can't get away,'_ she thought desperately. _'I'll die if it explodes.'_

She cast one last look at Squall as she started to disappear into the darkness of the underground. "I love you so much," she whispered. "You've done so much in return for so little."

He'd been everything to her…

Brother.

Lover.

Partner.

She let her eyes slide closed as she felt her stomach slowly loose sensation. She supposed it was better that way, since the coils were still tight around her. "I would do anything to save you…just like you would for me…" She cut herself off as the machine pulled her completely into darkness. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as she first thought…

**Death was such sweet agony.**

Left alone in the silence, Kir smiled softly. "Not the most painless way, but efficient enough. She was quite worthy to be my queen, even." He glanced at the boarded up door leading to Merlin's House. "I know you're in there Sora," he whispered. "I know it's just a matter of time before I find you."

His gaze fell on Squall, slumped and bloodied. Slowly, Kir walked over to him, pulling out his daggers. "Yuffie's dead now, so I think I'll be doing you a favor by sending you after her. But, just to savor this, I'll cut your brain open real slow so I can hear you scream." Kir put on a smug face as he lifted up a lock of Squall's hair, staring at his jagged scar. "Interesting scar. Hope you don't mind if I make another one." Kir moved to bring his knife across the former scar to create an X, stopping abruptly when he heard a noise.

A low thump was heard, followed by a loud groaning sound, like something was falling. A small, bloodied orange glove suddenly shot up, gripping at the cracked surface. Another followed, and soon a head of soft, short brown hair. Yuffie pushed herself onto the ground, glaring at him through blood that seeped from a nasty gash in her forehead. She looked a livid as a dragon.

"Don't touch my boyfriend you sick pig," she hissed, managing to force herself back onto the ground without the use of her legs. She was lying on her stomach, panting heavily. But she was alive, something that really started to eat at Kir. When would she learn?

"You should've just let yourself slip away down there," he said curtly, letting go of Squall and stepping toward her. "Look at you. You're lying on the ground with no weapons left, and you're all burnt out of magic. What could you possibly do now?"

_You'll know when to use it. Trust me._

_It all depends on you._

"I have something you don't have," Yuffie whispered, looking up at him with sweat careening down her face. "I have friends, and people who care about me. You can live your whole life and you'll never appreciate that. In this one moment, Kir, I am going to kill you, so you better remember these words. Hate gets you nowhere. Sphinx knew that, and now, because of you, she's lying under six feet of cold earth. You call us weak for having emotions, but that's what makes us strong. I hope you know that you're going to die right now as a lonely man you bastard."

"Nice speech," Kir said, completely unperturbed. "But to no effect." He raised his daggers above her head, smiling in the darkness. "I'll enjoy slicing your head in half." He brought down his swords at about the same time Yuffie screamed.

"KAMAKIRI!"

A deafening roar nearly split Kir's eardrums. Yuffie glowed a bright ethereal green, but that isn't what shocked Kir. Standing behind above her, a wicked eleven feet in height, was Kamakiri, bright yellow eyes and scythe claws in all. Kamakiri had caught Kir's daggers before they had barely nicked Yuffie's nose. With one careless swing, the insect smashed both daggers between his pincers, making the priceless metal fly everywhere. Kir, surprisingly, actually whimpered.

The praying mantis' face loomed close, it's head nearly as big as Kir himself. He grunted and cast several of the same balls that had chased Squall. Yuffie nearly laughed when Kamakiri stared at them for a moment before opening his mouth and swallowing them whole. He closed his mouth, breathing hard and making smoke billow out from his nostrils.

"What the hell is that thing?" Kir demanded, staring at the Heartless sign on its forehead. "That cannot be one of my creations."

_Actually, I am._

Kir frowned, not liking that it was actually talking to him. The only one that had been really capable of doing that was Sphinx. He eyed the insect up and down with growing suspicion. It had large wings hiding inconspicuously beneath two hard platelets on his back. Both arms contained large pincers, folded up in the usual stance of a praying mantis. He looked shinier than usual, like he was made out of some sort of metal.

Yuffie was busy staring at him too. This was actually the first time she had seen him. When she had acquired him she had been blind, and after that, he'd never actually had a tangible form. All she heard was his voice, but never saw his body. Now that she could take him all in, she realized that yes he was 'beautiful'.

_Are you going to make me kill him now?_

The ninja huffed. "Wait, will you?" I want to see him scream first. Kamakiri half nudged him with his large foot-like appendage. "Ok ok, just kill him."

As she said this, she realized what that look in Kir's eyes had been. He'd been staring at Yuffie's eyes, but the ones staring back at him hadn't been hers-it had been Kamakiri's.

It is darkest before the morning…

She felt something at that moment, and she didn't like the feeling at all. Something was bubbling beneath the surface of Kir's calm body, a force that she doubted even he could control. He was being eaten alive by the Heartless and he didn't even realize it.

"You can't kill me," Kir said, still convinced that he would win. He abruptly threw his head back, roaring loudly. He shook and convulsed, frothing at the mouth. The ground split and the stars seemed to cry black tears as Kir's body was ripped and partially shredded. He glowed and warped himself, so that the result was something torn between being half human, half Heartless. Parts of his skin were still attached and the places where his tan skin didn't cover, gray and blotchy bumps did. The only thing that remained the same were the same glowing eyes, now puny compared to the rest of his body.

_He's a zombie now. _

"HELLFIRE!" he screamed, a sound that seemed neither female nor male. It was demented and barely even human, and scarcely in any language they recognized. He had turned into the exact same thing that he had strived to rule over. He had believed for so long that he was superior to all the Heartless, when, in reality, they had been playing him all along.

Just like his father.

"Don't hurt Squall!" Yuffie managed to tell Kamakiri before he glowed a bright emerald, rushing at the creature that was once Kir. The bubbling black figure and the shining green figure clashed like two warriors in a holy war, fighting for their own superior morales. Yuffie barely remembered to breathe as she watched the large beautiful figure slowly push the dark creatures farther and farther against the wall.

She heard screams as a bright light enfolded the whole district, letting her see for the first time what Traverse Town was like in the daytime. She could see a long shadow reflecting off of Squall's bloodied form, and she prayed that he was ok.

The bright light seemed to crawl under her skin, making her head spin. Her mind reeled, and suddenly, things started to become like a silent movie. She screamed without a sound, her body convulsing violently. In the next second, the bright light exploded, raining little droplets of radiance all around. They touched her cheeks, leaving a warm, fuzzy feeling to settle in her stomach. She felt herself being lifted up into the air, but by what she didn't know. She screamed again, another wave of excruciating pain ripping through her. What was happening?

More light exploded, making it look like the stars were indeed crying. She could hear people yelling somewhere far off, but her vision was too blocked to see anyone. The illumination seemed to enfold her like a warm blanket, and she desperately tried to sink into its grasp.

_It's ok Yuffie. It'll all be ok._

A hot, searing sensation burned across her legs and into her stomach, like a wildfire raging inside of her. She shook and tried to rid herself of it, but it stayed there and coiled in her limbs. She felt pain once, more, and started to cry.

Voices called to her, sweet honey-drenched voices. They were all telling her it would be fine, to just relax. She saw her parents faces, and her friends, and Squall. He was half-smiling, trying to console her. His face shone as he reached down and attempted to touch her. She just whimpered and tried to block out the light.

Her body was going from hot to cold to freezing to scalding in all a few seconds. First she felt like she was shrinking, then felt like she was being blown up bigger than a blimp. Colors she didn't even know existed gave her a show and danced wonderfully before her eyes.

It was in that instance that four words came to her.

**Bring me to life.**

She felt herself falling back down to earth, the ground rushing up to meet her. The colors and voices and feelings were left up in the sky, along with her disease. She fell straight on her feet, screaming once more as she felt the tendrils of electricity shoot through them. She was nearly blinded from pain as she felt the impact of the landing, and felt the little cuts from the iced-up spider.

The light was beginning to fade. Somehow it had managed to catch the wires of the lights, and the Third District was brighter than she'd ever imagined. She saw now that people were standing at the entrance of the District, some holding pots and pans, guns, and each other. She looked ahead of her and saw Sora and the others just staring at her. Suddenly, without warning, she started to laugh.

She laughed so hard it hurt, so much that she was nearly rolling on the floor. Disregarding how much it upset her body, she ran around screaming at the top of her lungs, cussing and singing and dancing. She only stopped when she felt strong arms wrap around behind her. She turned around and joyously kissed Squall, ignoring the glares from all the elders in Traverse Town. They were just jealous anyways.

"Yuffie!" Aerith came yelling up to them. Cid nearly had to rip her and Squall apart, since they refused to listen with their lips locked.

"Fer gawds sakes you can do that later," Cid said, the stern gummi dealer not even succeeding to wipe his own grin off his face.

"Oh gawd shut up. The witch is dead!! Hahahaha!!" she screamed, and just to piss off the mayor, stuck up her middle finger. "Eat this you sucker! Kir is in hell!!"

"Yuffie, don't curse at the mayor," Squall said with exasperation, trying to shove Yuffie's finger down. She just whirled on him and hugged him hard, even though he grimaced badly. That suddenly reminded her of something.

"Your arm is better!" she cried, picking it up and examining it. "How?"

"I don't know. I just woke up to this white light and I felt fine." He bent down and kissed her again, much to Cid's disgruntlement.

The mayor was suddenly walking toward them in a bathrobe, giving him a less than authoritive manner. "What in the bloody blazes is going on?" he demanded. "What happened to my district?" he glared at Yuffie.

"It wasn't me, sir," she said, barely able to speak through her happiness. _'I'm cured,'_ she thought. _'Holy fucking cows, I'm cured.' _ After all this time, she felt so _alive. _Suddenly, before she could stop herself, she started to sing.

"Oh for heaven's sake she can barely hold her concentration." The mayor watched as the girl started to talk to herself. "What in the world is she doing now?"

"Kamakiri? KAMAKIRI ARE YOU THERE!?!" she started to slap her head, with Squall grabbing her arm and trying to stop her. She really had no idea where he was. First he was standing there in all his eleven-foot glory, and the next minute, he was gone.

_'I'm right here Yuffie.'_

"Oh god, I get to keep you?!" She felt him nod in her mind. "Oh yes, I love you." She danced around, going and hugging Aerith, Cloud, Kairi, Shera, Cid, and even Riku. When she came to Sora, he gave her a sheepish grin, putting one hand behind his head and scratching it.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "If it wasn't for me, this would have never happened." He outstretched his hand in an apology.

"If it wasn't for you, I would probably have died of this damn disease," she said, rejecting his hand and pulling him into her arms. He squirmed for a moment under Kairi's eyes, but slowly relaxed into her bear hug. When he slowly moved out of her arms, Squall was there to take his place, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"So…what do we do now?" he whispered into her ear. Yuffie smiled and leaned against him. She could feel and hear and smell all the things of Traverse Town, and it felt wonderful. Most of all, it was wonderful to be loved. She looked out at all the people staring at her, all ranging in size from tall to short, fat to skinny. She gazed at her amazing friends, whose personalities went from gentle to silly to stoic. And she loved all of them.

Turning her head up to the sky and sucking in the sweet air that she had missed for so long, she said what she had been dying to say for the longest time.

"We live."

[end]

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHA!!! Whoo!! I love this. I swear this is the only chapter in the whole damn story that I am proud of. 30 FRIGGIN' PAGES PEOPLE. Hey, one question. Do you guys want an epilogue?

Now that I'm done with this, I have to ask…DID YOU LIKE IT?!?!

I also want to thank all of my faithful reviewers, which go as follows, in no particular order.

Crow eyes,

Kitano

Deplora

Vulpes Lapis

Thomas Fitzgibbons

sKaVa

BroncosCheer-literofpepsy

Artistlil349

Aeris Deathscythe

Lil azn mystikal girl

Star-lancer

Lilkimmee

Death Dragon66

Kuro Chocobo

Cat of Darkness

October Breeze

Pingpong867

Regno Cuore

Osuwarii

Saxifrace

Yuffie Leonhart

BlueEyedDemon10

Writerofthefuture

Really really REALLY avid fan

Bituin

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Chika

Silent Mousie

QwickSilver

Jen

Deity of death1

Lina

!!!!

Cat

Miss Da Qiao

Pink Umbrella

Cloud123

Matrixie

Ok, I'm tired beyond hell after typing this. If you're not in there, I'm sorry. Honestly, I just went to random chapters and wrote down all the names I saw. If I missed you, tell me, and I'll put you in the epilogue.

I'm sorry this took so long. I have finals this week and it's really hard on me.

Heh. Review please, since this is technically my last real chapter…::sniff::


	25. Epilogue

Bring Me to Life 

Disclaimer: All the cool OC's are dead now….

Epilogue 

* * *

In the days after the 'invasion', as the mayor formally put it, the citizens of Traverse Town occupied themselves with gathering up what was left in the rubble; putting the pieces back together. Radioactivity scans were made before anyone was even allowed out of their houses. The authorities didn't seem to want to understand that that light was nothing that even existed in this world.

Anyways, with Kir gone, everything went back to normal. I mean, as normal as it could get. Everybody is still here, at least. Donald and Goofy are preparing to leave soon though, and are just making some plans. It's sad really. It has only been four days since Kir's demise and already everyone seems riled up to get back to their homes. As for me…well I'm pretty content being with all these people I care about. I only wish they felt the same. But with the worlds starting to seal up again…

Sora has forgiven me about opening up that Keyblade thing. He said even if I hadn't opened it, he would've and it would've happened anyways.

Cid, Yuffie, Aerith, Donald, Cloud, and Squall had to be hospitalized. Cid had a minor concussion and a sprained wrist. Aerith had slight burns from all of the spells she'd cast. Cloud had fractured his arm and had a few ribs broken. Donald was suffering from mild shock and a bullet wound in his wing. Squall, although saying over and over again that he was just fine, actually had a few broken ribs of his own. How he was able to break out of the hospital the other night (with the help of Yuffie. Somebody has yet to fess up about who did it to the police though. Pretty funny.) is beyond me.

As for Yuffie…well she was in pretty bad shape. She'd lost a total of fifteen pounds, and the doctor said it would take years for her to recover all of that. I think with her eating habits that that will happen way before then. She had also put up with a lot of psychological trauma, and she's being sent to a shrink every day for sessions. I feel really bad for her because I know she hates shrinks. Aside from those, she had a sprained ankle from running around so much, but that's healed now. She's been acting like she always did, so I don't think anything else is wrong…

Today is Sphinx's funeral. I didn't really know her, but I really hope I won't cry….

Tomorrow is Christmas…what a bummer. I don't think anyone will remember that.

-Excerpt from Kairi's diary

* * *

Yuffie believed that it would rain the day of the funeral, like it did in those silent movies, with everyone dressed in black. Well, everyone was dressed in black, but it was a casual sort of black, not the crisp suits in the cinemas. She herself had to be the worst example of that. She'd surprised herself when she found out that she had no black clothes, so she had to borrow some. What she ended up with was Aerith's low-cut, uncomfortable shirt and Squall's baggy sweatpants, even baggier on her. She had to keep a hand on her waist at all times to ensure that the whole world wouldn't get a glimpse of her underwear. _'I'd rather be wearing a leather thong than this damn thing…'_ Yuffie suddenly pictured Squall's leather pants, and particularly the man wearing them. She nearly ended up laughing as she suddenly got an image with _him_ in the thong.

The sudden remembrance of where she was caused her to stifle any noise that she would've emitted. She really didn't think that they had to do such a formal funeral, and judging from the looks on everyone else's faces, they thought so too. It was Aerith's idea to do the whole damn ceremony. Everyone else just thought it was respect enough to bury her and buy a nice little tombstone with a nifty little epitaph.

"Courageous, deserving proper respect, followed…" the priest droned on and on. It sounded like he was describing himself more than Sphinx. Did he even know the girl he was talking about was barely even a girl anymore? Probably not. Because of the rules of the church, they had a closed casket. She imagined the priest having a bloody hernia if he saw the creature inside of it, and, more importantly, the state of her 'head'. Or lack thereof.

Anyways, it wasn't raining, under any circumstances. It was quite sunny, almost unbearably so. That was true for her anyways. She didn't think that having two puddles beneath her armpits was the most picture-perfect look of being comfortable. She hoped she didn't smell. That had to be the only thing worse than being in the situation that she was now.

They had been the only ones attending the funeral, as they hadn't told anyone. She highly doubted people would've come even if they did know. They would come to a stranger's funeral just as soon as Tarzan won a world cup for ice-skating. She hoped that neither were prominent in the future.

Yuffie hadn't really noticed how they had proceeded out of the building. They weren't actually going to bury Sphinx in Traverse Town. In a day, Aerith, her and the others would be returning to Hollow Bastion. Yuffie had nearly begged that they take the casket with them, for she felt an irresistible urge to let Sphinx lie there, and not here. Even her overwhelming fear of the dead wasn't enough to stop her from taking that casket.

"That was sad," Kairi said thoughtfully as they let the workers load the coffer into the Gummi ship. "The speech anyways."

"The speech," Yuffie repeated incredulously, scrunching up her nose. "The speech wasn't even about Sphinx. It was about that priest and his pathetic cry for attention." She was gripping her side, and it looked like it was somewhat of an effort to even walk. The doctor had been very adamant about not letting her fight, but gradually exercising her muscles until she regained full strength again. Sadly, the most she could do was just walk around and hope she didn't get a cramp.

"It's lunch time," Squall muttered, staring at his shadow with his hands shoved into his pockets. Or at least one hand. Yuffie was swinging around the other hand like a jackhammer. He couldn't fathom how she whined about carrying some small weights, but had enough energy to make his arm go totally spastic. Frankly, he didn't really care though. Her breasts sporadically pressed up against his tricep, and damn, that was more than good enough for him.

"Lunch time for us," Aerith reminded him, rubbing her swollen wrists. "You should be prancing back to the hospital, Squall."

"Oh yes," Riku said with a snort. "Go prancing along now." He cursed and nearly balled into Sora when Squall's large hand came out of his pocket and nearly shoved him over the second district's railing. He didn't fall though; only banged his head against Sora with a resounding thud.

"Ahh, nothing like the sound of two hollow coconuts being smashed together," Yuffie said thoughtfully, leaning on Squall for support. "Speaking of coconuts, you know I'd never really tried them before?"

"Really?" Kairi asked, walking up beside her. "I practically have it everyday." Kairi suddenly became very spacey. "Or at least, I used to." She looked at Sora and Riku, and then occupied herself with staring disinterestedly at the ground. It quieted for a while after that, some of them unobtrusively coughing or humming softly. It was Yuffie who broke the silence.

"I'll take Squall back to the hospital. Half of the workers have probably gone off the deep end by now looking for him." She smiled up at her boyfriend, who was glaring at her. He didn't like hospitals. Never did, frankly. He'd actually bitten a doctor when he was thirteen, while he was having his physical. His parents just told him he was jittery about a female touching his privates, but he seriously thought otherwise. He basically didn't like the procedures of the whole place. Everything seemed so unnecessary.

"I'm not going back," Squall deadpanned, easily stopping Yuffie from trying to meekly pull him away from the group. She stood there with a pout on her face, her long nails digging like razors into his skin. "I don't want those morons to be touching me." That was when Yuffie gave him the most obvious looks he'd ever seen her deliver. She dragged him down slightly and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Who says the doctors are going to be the ones touching you?" she whispered into his ear, her digging nails stopping so she could trace little circles on his arm. Squall stood there for a moment, and Yuffie nearly thought she had to repeat herself. Not the most romantic thing to do, but hey, it could've been worse.

"Yeah. I'm feeling cramp in my arm…I'll have them check it," he lied, walking toward where the hospital was in the second district. If his memory served correctly, there was an alleyway on the way there that led directly back to the hotel.

As the five of them watched Yuffie nearly skip away with Squall, one of them suddenly got a sneaking suspicion.

"Hey…you don't need a doctor to check a cramp. I don't even think you get cramps in your arms anyways…" Sora muttered, watching them turn the corner. He watched the corner for a while longer, even though Riku and Kairi were tugging on his arm sleeves. Aerith was already making her way over to the café. Either she wanted to be alone, or she'd already learned that Sora's babble was virtually useless to listen to.

"Sora, don't think too hard. Your brain might come oozing out of your ears," Riku muttered, dragging his hapless friend along. Sometimes he wondered, with all of their differences, how they managed to become best friends. Oh that's right. Tidus was too cocky for his liking and Wakka…well he just didn't like dealing with his accent. Kairi wasn't even there when Riku had done the _difficult _best friend choosing.

"I think they're gonna do it," Sora finally said, spontaneously glancing backwards. Riku rolled his eyes, and Kairi laughed and playfully slapped his shoulder.

"Is that all you can think about, man?" Riku asked him, trying to usher him into the door. Sora refused to move, still staring off into space. Growling in frustration, he nearly threw Sora forward, making the poor boy smash his head against the transparent glass doors. Kairi gasped and this time hit him.

"What?" he said defensively. "I didn't think there was a door there!" Kairi pointed to the large black handle obtrusively sticking out from the door that Sora had just whammed into. "I didn't see that either!"

"Whatever. As long as he doesn't have a concussion, I'm not mad." Kairi smiled and softly kissed Sora's head, ushering him over to where Aerith was sitting waiting patiently.

"What happened?" Aerith asked, looking at Sora's grumpy face.

"My wonderful friend threw me into a doorway," Sora muttered, glaring at Riku. "Now I have two bumps from him."

"Two bumps? What's the first one from?" Riku asked in confusion. Sora really had a knack for remembering everything everyone did to him.

"Remember when you tricked me into running the race blindfolded?" Riku stared at him.

"You actually blame me for that?"

Sora snorted and waved him off dismissively. "No. I blame you for when you dropped that pineapple on my head when I was running around the corner."

Kairi was laughing by now, and Aerith just sat there and watched the two friends argue. It was back to normal again, and they were more than thankful for that.

* * *

Yuffie nearly fell to the floor as she attempted to stumble into the room without letting go of Squall's hand. They had taken the alleyway, expecting it to be pretty easy to use. Instead they got a smelly and mice infested path, and Yuffie could've sworn there was a mutant platypus waiting for them in the shadows. She'd seen those things in those mammal picture books and they'd scared the living hell out of her.

"I swear that place was really foul. I seriously need a shower," she groaned, feeling the stench on her clothes. She wouldn't believe it if someone told her there was something that smelled worse than her. The ninja walked over to the table in the center of the room, where some small hand soaps rested next to the coffee-mug. She was nearly into the bathroom when Squall grabbed a hold of her loose sweatpants. She was tugged back and nearly flung onto the bed, with Squall on top of her. "Hey! Come on Squallie…I need a bath."

"We can do that later," he whispered into her neck, softly nuzzling it. She sighed softly and gave in, gently burying her hands in his hair, rubbing his skull. When she felt his hands on her black tee, she suddenly remembered her state.

"Squall," she said, her mouth muffled on his shoulder. She managed to put her arms between them and tried to push him off. What resisted her surprised her. _'Oh woah, someone likes to eat a lot…' _"Come on Squall, I smell like cow dung. It's really unattractive." She gave up when she realized he was barely listening to her. She grumbled belatedly, her mouth already overtaken by his before she could protest. _'Men and their stupid testosterone...' _

She felt his hands travel up to her bra strap, giving her a nice tingly feeling. It was making her feel sleepy, but she'd imagine that Squall wouldn't be very happy if she just started snoozing on him. Trying to ignore the waves of sleepiness, she buried her face in his neck, trying to think of something else besides her odd feelings of lethargy.

"Squall?" she said again, only about three minutes after she'd said it the first time. He muttered a lazy 'hm' but didn't really make any indication to listen to her. She let him kiss her, momentarily forgetting what she was thinking about when she felt his tongue gently slip into her mouth. She slowly let out a moan and arched her body up to his hands, the feelings of sleepiness slowly receding.

"Squall?" she asked for the third time, right after he had broken the kiss. She laughed and squirmed for a moment when he lightly tickled her sides. "Squall? SQUALL!"

"For God's sakes, what?" he demanded, nearly going crazy. What the hell was she doing? She was wiggling around like a worm, and she kept calling his name. What the hell did she want?

"I…uhh…" Yuffie stuttered, trying not to look at his lips and to ignore the way it made her body go warm. She was beginning to feel light and fuzzy, like when she was hugging a really big teddy bear. She really didn't think those were the feelings she was supposed to have before the big "IT".

"Are you nervous?" he asked, putting his hand to her cheek and forcing her to look at him. She was glancing around like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

"No…" she whispered. She really didn't know. Maybe she was nervous. Or maybe she was worried about Squall being branded a pedophile. Or maybe it was just that she was dead afraid about being pregnant. She really didn't like kids and she heard that giving birth really hurt and she was too dumb to try and get those retarded condoms because she was too embarrassed and-

"Ahh," she moaned, shaking her head. "Just….agh. Just do it."

"You getting paid to say that?" he asked, lowering his hand to her side. She looked confusedly at him. "Oh never mind."

He began to kiss her this time, gentler than before. He reached under her shirt again, trying to unclasp her bra. There was only one problem-he had no idea where the heck it was.

Yuffie began to giggle as she felt his fingers fumble around for any sign of a clasp. He even tried the front, making her laugh harder. He growled and glared at her, still having enough pride to not ask her. She really didn't mind though. It was funny watching him struggle when he obviously wanted to 'advance'.

"Need any help?" she asked, stroking his head. He shook his head, leaning against her and trying to figure out the anomaly that was her bra. Was there some kind of evil corporation that made clasp-less bras? If there was, then they obviously had no idea what it was doing to the male species.

"You sure?" she prodded. She was making little butterfly kisses on his forehead. She knew he was annoyed, but she found it oddly romantic. Anything where he was touching her she found romantic, actually.

"Where the hell is it," he demanded in a low voice, laying his head on her supple chest. She laughed again, her whole body heaving with the fruitless effort to muffle it. She stroked the nape of his neck lovingly, moving her hands down to massage his shoulders. She leaned down and softly whispered into his ear.

"I'm wearing a sports bra, bud," she said, smiling when she felt his shoulders tense up. "I had been planning on running after taking you to the **hospital**, Mr. Leonhart. But…since you're here, I'll just have to give you the examination myself." She had to use her shoulder to push him on his back. Straddling him and wiggling her hips just to frustrate him, she began to speak with a British accent. "I will begin the oral examination now. Please keep all arms and legs on the bed. Wouldn't want to lose those." Just to provoke him, she yanked off the uncomfortable t-shirt, throwing it away like a stripper.

"Christ," he muttered, closing his eyes. Frankly, he didn't care if what he was doing was morally wrong. He always put the rules at a disregard. Basically, if it felt good, he did it. "Do you have any idea how hot you are?"

"Not really," she said truthfully, dropping her accent for the moment. "But hearing you say it is nice." She frowned and hit him lightly in the chest. "No talking to the nurse during the checkup, Mr. Leonhart," she reprimanded in her fake posh accent again.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, already trying to use his hands to coax her out of her pants. She just smiled and grabbed one of his hands, biting it a lot harder than he'd expected. He yelped and glared at her. She only shook her head.

"I said no talking." He frowned, his mouth still compelled to move.

"You didn't have to bite me."

"I know, but you taste good." She leant down and gave him a fierce kiss to confirm this. He started to slip his tongue into her mouth again, but she suddenly pulled away. He gave her a confused look. "Sorry," she apologized. "It hurts to bend my neck like that."

"Maybe you're the one that needs the exam," Squall suggested coyly, attempting to flip her over. Yuffie bared her teeth like a cat, making him cautious to keep his hands away from her mouth.

"I'm not done with you yet," she said calmly, bending down so she could wiggle out of her pants. "I haven't even started." She now sat atop him in a red sports bra and underwear, teasing him gently with her body. He eagerly ran his hands up and down her frame, Yuffie's hands stopping his when he reached for her aggravating bra again.

"You still have more clothes on than me," she said, slipping her hands beneath his shirt and nearly ripping it off. She tried to yank it off, finding his body's weight the only thing keeping it from moving. "You can help me, you know."

"Why should I?" he asked, still unhappy about how he wasn't able to tease her yet. She frowned and thought for a moment, then smiled.

"I'll take off my bra."

That got him moving. He willingly slipped off his shirt, tossing it across the floor, now littered with clothing articles. Yuffie beamed brazenly, starting to pull her bra over her head. Squall grabbed her hands and slowly kissed her fingers, shaking his head.

"Let me do the damn thing," he whispered quietly, a little note of revenge on his voice. Yuffie snorted and eyed him suspiciously, before giving him the consent.

"Ok. Just don't tear it up or anything."

Squall wanted to say something to that, but he was too concentrated on pulling the sports article over her head. He threw that away too, trying to ignore the fact that it nearly went flying out the window. _'Why the hell is the window open anyways?' _ He then busied himself with massaging the small mounds on her chest, forgetting for the moment that Yuffie was supposed to be the one torturing him.

"H-hey," she stuttered, trying not to moan. "I-I'm supposta be d-doing t..hat…" She groaned, hating how easily he had gained control. Ok, she was never bargaining with him again.

"I don't see you doing anything," he said idly, running his fingers across her sides and traveling to her back, pulling her down on top of him. The sensation of her bare chest on his send a jolt of electricity through her body, a feeling that was alien to her. It wasn't a painful jolt, but a warm one that made her senses go numb and tranquil. She liked it a lot.

_'I'll bite you again,'_ her mouth yelled out. Or at least she wished it would. She was shaking and whimpering so badly that she couldn't get any part of her body to move. Just laying there and sighing elatedly was enough for her.

Well, not really.

She managed to get herself up on shaky arms, his hands still massaging her body. She stuck her tongue out, and had to dodge his mouth before he tried to grab it. He always told her not to stick out her tongue unless she intended to use it. She was pretty sure if he managed to kiss her now, she would break, and just let him take over. She sure as hell wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of that!

"I love you," she whispered softly, making Squall shoot her a confused look. Before he knew what had happened, she'd fluently slid her legs to firmly grip his, using all the strength she had to hold down his wrists with her minute hands. She bounced up and down a little on his waist, making her partner groan in half lust, half pain.

"That hurts," he grunted, trying to move, and realizing he couldn't. Where the hell did she learn ground-wrestling moves? He'd have to remember that for later.

"Sorry snookums," she said in a syrupy voice, making Squall glare at her. "Just testing how hard it was." She tried not to laugh when he stared at her. She would never end to surprise him. Sexual innuendo was something he never really pegged her for.

She once again leaned down, kissing his chastely before letting her mouth travel down. She kissed and nuzzled his neck, suddenly getting an idea. She'd never done it before, and she'd always been curious. Opening her mouth, she slowly started to suck on his neck, gradual but with acute pressure. Squall groaned, his body attempting to move up and only managing to rise less than an inch above the bed. Her and her stupid dominatrix tendencies.

"F…" he gasped as one of her hands let go of his wrist, swiftly traveling down….

Down…

**Down.**

"..uck," he couldn't stop her hand, and even if he could, he sure as hell didn't want to. Using his free hand, he buried it in her soft cinnamon hair, silently urging her on.

Yuffie smiled at his reaction, gently stroking him. She didn't want to push him too hard, even though she was thoroughly enjoying her power. If she kept teasing him like this, he might have a hernia. That wouldn't be good at all.

Deciding that they were never going to get anywhere in their undies, she brought her hands back to herself, much to the disappointment of the male beneath her. She let him help her with her underwear, noticing how his hands lingered awhile on her hips, silently searching her eyes. He still believed she was nervous. Although that was true on some level, she also felt very relaxed. She felt it would be safe that he knew this, so she told him.

"I just don't want you to wake up tomorrow and look at me…like that." Squall trailed off, leaving Yuffie half wondering what he was talking about. Something clicked in the back of her mind.

"Don't tell me you've done this before," she said slowly, feeling stupid and curious as she voiced it. If he had, then it would make her look childish and unready. If he hadn't, then that would be worse because then they'd both be confused. She wanted to know and at the same time she didn't.

"Now's not the time," he said, putting his finger over her mouth before she could say more. "Someday I'll tell you about everything. Right now, it's just about us."

Her garment, along with his, hit the floor, leaving the two on the bed completely bared. The ninja suddenly lost all thought that she was supposed to be in control, that she was the one to bring him pleasure. She didn't know what it was, but she suddenly felt so scared that she nearly fled from the room. She was nervous damnit, and this time she couldn't suppress it.

"Yuffie?" he reached up and pulled her body tighter to his. She looked up at him, deep in thought, and her eyes showing the earnest of emotions. She didn't say a word when he gently slid her to his side, moving so that he was the one on top this time. She sighed profoundly, reaching up and pulling him so that his forehead rested on hers. He smelled nice and-lords!-was he magnificent.

"I just got jittery," she explained, moving so she could nibble on his earlobe. "Your body makes me feel inferior and stuff."

Squall snorted softly, running his hands along her side. "Stop saying that. Just feel good about yourself for once. That's an order."

The youthful ninja let a smile creep on her face. She'd never been commanded to feel good about herself before. It made her feel really…happy.

How long had they been lying like this? She'd heard that those who had sex usually got lost in the passion. Why the heck were they talking? She didn't know, and didn't really care. When had they ever been the conventional couple anyways?

"Come 'ere," he grunted, kissing her roughly. She moaned against him, no longer feeling anxiety as he placed her hands on her hips, firmly holding her in place. He'd told her it would hurt last time they'd attempted to do it (before Sephiroth had conveniently waltzed in) and he didn't need to tell her again. With his lips on her and his warm hands keeping her safe, she thought she could handle anything.

So she thought.

The impromptu entry made her jolt badly, and he had to grab her head with one hand to keep it from banging into the headboard. She whimpered, resisting the urge to sink her teeth into his hand as he moved it down her face. She couldn't flail her legs because he held them secure, and her arms were clinging desperately to his back, her nails sinking in. The pain was there for both of them, give and take a little.

"S-squall…" she stuttered, her fingers lacing behind his neck to bring him in for another kiss, which he had broken when she started to thrash. He kissed her, albeit hesitantly, like he became so sure that she was going to break any second.

No. She's already been broken, Leonhart.

_I just don't want you to wake up tomorrow and look at me…like that._

Yuffie nearly cried when she realized what he meant. Squall Leonhart, who had never really gave a damn about anyone, was dead afraid of being rejected. He feared seeing that look of regret in her eyes when she woke up and found herself sleeping beside a monster. That was his exact train of thought, and she hated how he thought of himself.

"I love you," she whispered, arching her body fluidly and making him groan. "I love you I love you **I love you.**" She planted kisses along his shoulder, begging him to continue. He quickly complied, easily giving her everything she dreamed of.

Maybe nirvana wasn't so impossible after all.

* * *

Aerith sat in the quiet of the Red Room, sitting on the edge of the bed and thinking of nothing of nothing in particular.

No.

Actually, her mind was so cluttered with thoughts that she was starting to consider amnesia as an analgesic. There were so many things they had to plan and so many people to say goodbye to…

She realized their fatal error in making such close acquaintances on two completely separated worlds. She knew that they'd given the people of Traverse Town quite a shock when they'd shown up a few months back. They had no idea how they got there…

There was so much to think about. Aside from their own plans, they had to think of the welfare of others. There must've been several venturing people that had left their own planets once they found out that that was possible again. Their problem was that those people might get stuck on the wrong planets for the rest of their lives.

Aerith sighed, curling up on her bed. She really wished that people would think of other's beside themselves for once. Did they not realize that there were others dragging their asses to clean up all the mistakes they had made? They all worked so hard just to keep these humans safe and all they got in return was a bunch of arrogance and displeasure. Now she realized why Sora, Squall, and Cloud could be so unwilling at times to help somebody out. They were sick of the whining.

"So tired," she whispered, laying on her side and stroking the empty space beside her. Cloud had gone back to the hospital that morning because he had begun to feel pain in his arm again, and it had started to go stiff. She knew that she should've gone with him too, with all the pain her wrists were causing her. But she had so much to think about that she had declined when he offered. She just couldn't take all those doctors at the moment.

_'Why are we always left to deal with all the chaos?' _Kir had stirred up the biggest storm of hell they'd seen, nearly rivaling his father's. She herself hadn't been there at the final battle of Ansem, so seeing Kir's end was something to marvel at. That moment only lasted a few seconds though. Seeing all the things he left to deal with made her wish that maybe they were still in the fray. Things were always easier to deal with when she was being pressured but when left like this…

Everyone seemed to be trying to recover from what had happened. The government was giving funding to the mayor for the repairs, but it was also fining him for being unaware of the violence in the town, or something like that. She didn't know when being uninformed became a sin around here.

The people were the ones she was really sympathizing with though. They had barely recovered from Ansem's wrath, and now they had to deal with the aftermath of his son's. She felt really bad, because she knew some of them were so scared they didn't even dare to go outside anymore.

Now as she laid in the quiet of her room, she thought of how heavy reconstruction was going on in the Third District. They had to completely retile the ground, replace the fountain, rewire all the energy lines, replace several walls and steps…..they were technically tearing down the whole District. She hoped it would look the same. She couldn't bear it to look different, even though she wouldn't be there to see it when it was done.

She had seen Yuffie talking to the mayor the day before in the Second District. She looked like she was bargaining to him. She was standing next to the spot where Sphinx had been killed, which had been roped around to keep the public at bay. Sphinx's blood still remained there. Not surprisingly, Yuffie had been pointing to it, clasping her hands together and making faces. Aerith couldn't hear them, but from the way the mayor's face softened, she believed that the ninja had just convinced the old man to keep the floor just the way it was. Probably laminate it or something, judging from how Yuffie's mind worked.

"Too much," she groaned. She was really tired. She knew pushing herself was unhealthy, but leaving their agenda unfinished was also unhealthy if Cid found out. But if she set her alarm clock…

A soft black feather floated down and tickled her nose. She frowned and picked it up, about to reprimand Cloud for being back at the hotel. She couldn't get the words out though when, upon closer examination, she realized that the feather did not belong to Cloud. That meant only one other person.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, not facing the general. How had he gotten into the room without her noticing? She knew it was not safe to be left alone with him; especially judging on the way Cloud resented him for reasons still vague to her.

Sephiroth countered her question with one of his own. "Do you know it's Christmas tomorrow?"

Aerith's eyes widened, and she forgot that she was sitting in a room with an ex-killer for a moment. "Ohmigod!" she yelped, sitting upright. "Oh you're right!" She wanted to get up and pace, but she was so frantic that her mind couldn't work out orders to get her legs moving. "Great…just another thing to add to my list. Do the others know? I didn't even buy presents…OH! I need to buy presents!"

Sephiroth watched her silently, wondering if she noticed that he had was lying next to her on the bed now. Probably not. With the way she was freaking out, she could have an alligator snoring right there and she wouldn't see.

"That duck wants to know what's going on so he and his partner know when to leave," Sephiroth said idly, pulling at his gloves. His fingers felt numb. Aerith nodded silently at what he said, slowly turning to look at him. It was then she noticed that he was mere inches away from her. She blinked, making a small face of horror and attempted to roll out of bed. The general's hand stopped her though, dragging her across the sheets to stay firmly in the bed. She was trying not to panic. It wasn't the fact that he was there that scared her. It was the fact that if Cloud walked in at that moment he would take it all very wrong. That scared her beyond all possible amount of reasoning.

"They're in the hospital," he continued, talking as if he wasn't lying there with a death grip on the girl's arm next to him. Aerith squealed in half acknowledgement. She felt unsafe being able to cast anything. Well, she could cast…if she didn't want any more arms.

Sephiroth sat up, leering over Aerith. She wondered how she still remembered to breathe as he stared down at her with impassive emerald eyes. He had the same eye color as hers…but not exactly. His were as cold as frost, hers as warm as summer. It was one difference that made both of them so easy to tell apart.

"Don't come near me," she hissed quietly, even though it was a little too late for that. "Cloud'll-"

"I don't want you," Sephiroth said, curtly cutting her off. He glanced sideways, staring at something that wasn't there. "I only look after Yuffie."

Aerith scowled, trying to wrench out of his grasp. "She has Squall." She struggled some more, thinking at the same time. How could he say that he looked after her? He wasn't even there when it happened. The defeat of Kir, she meant.

"But Squall wasn't always able to protect her on his own," Sephiroth deadpanned. Aerith had nothing to say to that, and wisely kept her mouth shut. She refused to even look at him.

"Don't tell me you have feelings for her," Aerith queried, unable to keep the accusation out of her voice. She didn't really know what to expect. If he said yes, then she would go crazy. If he said no…then he just wasn't making sense at all.

"No," he murmured. Aerith looked up at him, unable to read his eyes now because of the silver locks obscuring them. She sighed and turned to look off to the side again. "But she has something that causes me to watch over her."

The flower girl said nothing, attempting to figure out what it was. "That…thing?" she asked, remembering how Yuffie was screaming about this Kamakiri creature. She knew it was a summon…but she never knew summons had the ability to be dangerous to their owners.

"He's a Heartless," Sephiroth filled in for her. "The last one alive. He'll stay with her until she dies."

"Does she know that?" she asked yet again, still finding it hard to believe that she was having a conversation with the murderer, even if it was a forced one.

Sephiroth actually made a face, and she had to fight not to laugh. _'Did I just say he was funny? Sephiroth? No. Stop feeling so happy!' _She cleared her throat uncomfortably and continued to stare at the wall. "I believe she does," he said in reply to her question.

It was quiet for a while, the sounds of drills and yells far off in another district. She looked around the room to keep her occupied. There were pictures that had been knocked down and cracked. She noticed now that her table had claw marks on it. She briefly looked to the closet with her clothes in it, deciding not to think about what state they were in. She had gone in there to get a shirt for Yuffie and everything seemed ok…

Sephiroth smelled like leather. She didn't know where that came from, but she couldn't help it. He was right there, and it wasn't like she could just clog her nose up. She was going to wonder what else he smelled like, but stopped herself. Think about Cloud. CLOUD!

"Where'd you go?" she inquired, mumbling it a bit. Sephiroth glanced at her. "During the fight."

The general sighed audibly, turning to look out to window. They were now staring in two completely opposite directions, and yet they still managed to talk. "I went to the Third District to fight Kir when I saw Sphinx preoccupied with Squall." He took a chance to see Aerith's reaction. She had none, although it seemed to look like things were clicking in. "I wore him down, then let Yuffie finish him off."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Aerith asked, wondering how many times she could interrogate him before he snapped. Wait…that had already happened.

Sephiroth closed his eyes. He knew that's what she would ask him. Kir was an amazing actor. He'd actually been there to see it happen, been there to see Kir looked completely suave. The general was the only one, besides Kir himself, to know that Kir had been exhausted. Yuffie probably didn't realize that's why it was so easy to take him down.

"I don't do charity," Sephiroth told her in an offhand voice, finally letting go of her arm. Surprisingly, she didn't spring up, just laid there silently.

"And why weren't you at the funeral?"

The general shook his head, not planning to answer. He was sliding his legs off the bed when Aerith grabbed him, reversing their roles from earlier. She repeated her question.

"I don't do that type of thing either," he said quietly. He blinked rapidly when he saw Aerith raise her hand, not really comprehending what she was doing. The realization came a moment too late though when he felt her tiny fist dig into his side, causing him to cry out, despite all his control.

Aerith blinked. What? She didn't expect it to hurt. She was just annoyed that he couldn't put aside his pride for a while just to attend a damn funeral. She retracted her hand, seeing dried blood stuck on her knuckles. She frowned.

"You're hurt," she whispered, moving her hand to touch his side. He grabbed her hand and pushed her away, wanting to get out now. She kept holding him back though. "Have you seen a doctor?"

"I don't need a damn doctor," he snapped, getting up and shaking her off. She crawled across the bed and seized the bottom of his trench coat before he could go any further. He turned his head back and glowered at her. "Let. Go."

"No. See a doctor," she fought to keep the slippery material in her hands. "I'm a healer, and I demand that you go to the hospital. I don't care if you hate hospitals or whatever, but just go!" She really didn't like it when people refused to have themselves checked. It wasn't that she cared about Sephiroth…it was just what she'd generally tell anyone that was hurt.

Sephiroth moved back to her without a word, forcibly letting her fingers out of his coat. He walked over to the balcony, and before he jumped over, she repeated her request for the third time.

"Maybe," he said before disappearing from view. Aerith, now seeing him gone, crumpled back on her bed, wondering if all that had really happened.

* * *

Later that night….

Noises and singing could be heard from outside the window, distant and chortling. It was enough to wake up the occupants of the Green Room. Or occupant. Only one of them of was awake, and she was currently lying on her side, staring at the man next to her. She traced her hands over the bandages across his chest, the bandages which she hadn't even noticed until now. She wondered if he felt as much pain as she did when they did it.

"I don't regret it," she whispered, remembering Squall's words from before. She smiled, closing her eyes and reliving what had happened.

_She had been moaning softly beneath him, running her hands across his back but barely touching him. He panted softly in her ear, whispering her name and kissing right below her ear lobe. _

_ **Is this what you want?**_

****

****_He clenched his eyes as he yelled out, collapsing on top of her. Their breath intermingled for a while, the room filled with only their soft pants and groans. Finally, the male flipped over, bringing the female onto his chest. Yuffie buried her fact in his side, slowing succumbing to sleepiness. _

Seeing that he was still sleeping, Yuffie gently pried his arms from her waist, moving towards the bathroom completely naked. The afterglow made her feel warm and fuzzy, just like before. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel shame or not. She was, after all, pretty young_. 'I had sex with the person I love. There's no shame in that.' _ She shut the bathroom door with a quiet click, leaning against the door and sighing.

She stared at her reflection, brushing her hand through her tangled hair, now almost reaching her shoulders. _'I don't _**look**_any different..'_ She was running her hands over her chest when she felt a small bump. She frowned, looking down. "Squall's mark," she muttered, continuing to look over body. "And another one," she said mildly, spotting another on her shoulder. "And…" she moved closer to the mirror, nearly screaming.

"Holy shit!" she yelled, slamming open the bathroom door, only to find Squall awake and staring at her. He raised an eyebrow when she made faces and pointed to all the hickeys adorning her body. "WHAT'D YOU DO?!" She bent down and picked up the first random thing that she found on the floor, which happened to be her shoe, and flung it at Squall. He barely managed to dodge it as more items came flying at him.

"I only did what you did to me," he said calmly, despite narrowly avoiding several items. "And don't throw things. You'll wake everyone up." As an afterthought, he looked out the window, wondering why it was still dark. He discovered it was because it was nearly 12:00 in the morning. He sighed, wondering why both of them had been compelled to wake up at such a time.

"Squall, look outside," Yuffie had stopped chucking things, and was leaning over him, pointing out the balcony window. Squall sat up and hunched over her, wrapping one arm around her waist and using the other to lean against the windowpane. Seeing what Yuffie was referring to wasn't very hard. There was a large Christmas tree erected in the town's square of the First District. Despite the high climbing walls, it was still easily visible from the Second District. There was a myriad of lights on it, and he'd imagine hundreds of people gathered around the bottom of it.

He already knew what Yuffie was going to say. He sighed and slowly disentangled himself from her, getting up to find his boxers. Yuffie turned back to him, asking him what he was doing.

"You want to go, right?" He had found his underclothes, and was pulling on his pants now. Yuffie opened her mouth, closed it, then nodded.

"How did you know?" she questioned, getting up to dig through her ivory drawers for some warmer clothes. She finally settled on baggy army pants and the same forest green tank that she usually wore. She put on her bright orange gloves, wrapping her scarf firmly around her neck.

"It's obvious," he answered after a while, walking up to her and tugging on her hair in a reprimanding way. "Won't you be cold in that?"

Yuffie shook her head, taking his hand and dragging him out the door. "I will until I steal your coat. Besides, I know you like it when I wear this top."

"Yeah," Squall answered absently, looking up into the sky. The last time he ever participated in something like this it was snowing and he was only a teen…

The ninja pulled him along, ignoring his grunts as she yanked particularly hard in some instances. They had to weave through the throng of people that now inhabited the street, most of them nursing a cup of hot chocolate or a present of some sort. Kids yelled and screamed happily, throwing Frisbees, balls, and other hazardous items that they were sure to get hit with at least once.

"What've I gotten myself into?" the male muttered as they met up with everyone else, who were sitting around a bench. Riku, Sora, and Kairi had found a bunch of kids to play tag with, and sadly, they seemed to be losing half the time. But they also seemed to be having extreme fun doing it. Cloud, Aerith, and Cid all had gotten a leave from the hospital for one day to spent time at the festivities. Shera was present also, they'd been told, and she was just off to buy all of them some food. Goofy and Donald had also found some children, but they were able to entertain the youngsters just by plain talking. Obviously they got a kick out of seeing talking animals.

"Everyone's here!" Yuffie exclaimed, tugging on Squall's arm and making him wince. She tried not to frown. He was so…energetic before, but now he seemed as pained as an old man. Either that or he was just putting on an act so she wouldn't force him to do things. Well, either way, she was going to make him have a fun time, whether he liked it or not. "Except Sephiroth…" she added quietly.

"What?" Cid demanded, apparently having heard her. "You want your raper to be here?"

"Shut up," Yuffie snapped. "He did rape me, but he also helped me. I'd probably dead right now if it wasn't for him. I know he's a little twisted, but he's also not that bad anymore." She didn't know what had compelled her to defend him, only that she believed what she said was true. He was off kilter, in a way, but he was also completely sane. She didn't know how to describe it.

Aerith said nothing, still a little disturbed about her talk with the general. She took a glance at Cloud, then at his hand intertwined with hers. _'He doesn't know,_' she reminded herself. No one knew but her and Sephiroth. She briefly wondered if he really did heed her advice, and go see the doctor.

_'Why would he listen to me?_' She asked herself, and at the same time wondering _why_ she was asking herself that. She sighed and shook her head, clearing her mind of any thoughts of him. She didn't need this. If he didn't listen to her, then fine.

"Oh crap, it's Dr. Holsen," Yuffie muttered, spotting man walking toward them. "Run Squall." Dr. Holsen had been the same doctor that had been given the job of watching over the Gunblade specialist. Squall imagined the middle-aged man hated him now, mainly because of his sudden disappearance right before an X-ray checkup. For a man at the age of twenty-five, he'd sure given that hospital hell. Holsen definitely wasn't there to give them his blessings.

"Hello doctor," Aerith said warmly, smiling sweetly at him. Of course she had no reason to be uneasy around him. Her man had actually stayed in the hospital like he'd been told. "Do you need something?" she couldn't help glancing at Squall as she said this. Conveniently, he seemed about a foot and a half away from where he'd been a few previous seconds ago.

"Fortunately," Dr. Holsen said, adjusting his eyeglasses, "I'm not here to reprimand any of you." He looked of the rim of his spectacles at Yuffie as he said this. "I'm here to give you the report on…Sephiroth. That man refused to give an indication of a last name."

They all stared at him for a moment. "Sephiroth…is in the hospital?" Aerith finally chanced to ask. She was surprised she could even speak. He actually listened to her?

"Sadly, no. He demanded that he be let out for tonight. A colorful array of words, that one has. Anyways, here's his results," he handed them over to Aerith, who gave him a confused look. "He said you forced him to do it, so he wanted you to see them."

"You talked to him?"

Aerith looked up to Cloud, and she was surprised to see no anger in his face. He looked perfectly calm. She nodded slowly, unsure if he was just holding in his rage so he could get her to tell the truth. When she silently admitted to it, he still showed no resentment.

"I'm sorry," Aerith blurted before he could even speak. "He just came out of nowhere…and he was injured and I got worried. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Cloud assured her quietly, wiping away a stray tear from her eye. "I'm not really that mad. I'm angry about him coming to you when I wasn't there, but I don't mind about you telling him to see a doctor. You would've done that to anyone."

"That's nice," Yuffie interrupted, her curiosity making her antsy. "Just tell us what's wrong with him."

Aerith complied, not in the right mind to argue. "A few broken bones and…" she stared at it for a moment. "Some deep psychological trauma and a low level of chemical poisoning."

"The poisoning must be the stuff that Kir gave him to control him," Yuffie said thoughtfully, linking it together. "Just how I had a reaction with the steroid-thingys he gave me, he also had a reaction. Just not as bad."

"That's probably it," Aerith agreed, tracing her fingers over the various data. "Thank you doctor." She smiled again.

"It's quite alright. …Oh for heaven's sakes I seem to have lost that boy again…" the doctor trailed off, silently going off to look for his patient. They waited until he was out of earshot before they all started to speak once more.

"That's all he wanted? I swear he was coming over here to tell me to drink my tonic," Yuffie muttered, remembering how she'd been forced to drink the vile concoction.

"You have to drink that stuff?" Cloud wondered, staring up at the large decorated tree and scrunching up his nose. Yuffie wasn't the kind of person that needed something to invigorate her. Was she using it for strength?

The young girl nodded as an answer, but didn't meet his gaze. She really didn't drink it. Just acted like she did. That stuff tasted _bad_.

"He's gone," a voice behind the bench stated. Yuffie actually screamed, being nearly scared out of her wits. She wasn't very compatible with sneaky people. That's why she avoided horror movies, for the most part. She was sure that every scene would have her crying in her seat. She quickly toned herself down after receiving a few worried glares, and a small amount of spontaneous screams from some children.

"You," Squall stated neutrally, his voice betraying any anger he might have. Sephiroth nodded informally, walking around from behind the bench to lean on it. Cloud rolled his eyes and shoved the general's elbow off rudely. Despite his already showing hostility, Sephiroth said nothing. So Cloud still hadn't accepted him. That encounter with Hades and himself still bothered the blonde…

Old habits die hard.

"Now everyone is really here!" Yuffie sang jovially. No one wanted to mess up her upbeat mood, so they all played along. After some time Shera returned, holding a cup-holder filled with four mugs of steaming coffee. She looked a little alarmed to see Sephiroth, Yuffie, and Squall there, but she was keen to hide it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming," Shera gestured to the drinks. "I only got enough for the four of us…"

Yuffie shook her head and hands. "No, it's ok. We didn't think we were going to come either." She jerked around and looked at Sephiroth, sensing him staring at her. "Whaddaya want?"

"Taking care of Kamakiri?" he asked monotonously. "He gets pretty bitchy if you don't talk to him once in a while."

Yuffie nodded, but suddenly his words hit her, as if she'd just realized it now. "OH CRIPES!" she yelled, glancing at Squall, who was staring at her in question. She looked back at Sephiroth, half-alarmed, and about ready to burst from embarrassment. "He's always there right?"

"Yes." Sephiroth saw panic settle into her features. What the hell was crawling up her ass?

Squall seemed to be thinking in the same direction. "Why are you so worried? I thought you knew that." Yuffie glared at him, and made a 'bleh' sound.

"Hello, Squall," she said with exasperation, throwing up her hands. "He's _always _there. **Always.**" Squall was about to ask her again why she was so frustrated about that, when he finally realized what she had only moments before.

"Oh shit," he groaned, covering his face with his hands. "He was actually _there_ when…" he cursed. "Oh shit."

Sephiroth burst into laughter before any of them knew what was happening. Most people passing by would've found someone laughing on Christmas very normal. But to the six nearest to him, watching a murderer not laugh completely insanely wasn't very normal at all. He was really _laughing._ Not insane I-will-kill-you-laugh, but just the sane one. That was pretty weird.

"He resides in your subconscious, Yuffie. You can't make him go away, but you can make him go into a sleep-like trance. He could stay that way for a few seconds to a few years," Sephiroth explained, telling her the sublime truth. She had to admit that she was happy about being able to do that….but she wished he could've told her that sooner.

"This is soooo embarrassing," she muttered, slowly calling upon Kamakiri. She knew she would eventually. Even if she didn't, he would force her to talk to him sooner or later.

_'Yes?'_

_ 'Kamakiri?' _She chose not to speak out loud for this particular conversation. This was not something she wanted everyone else to hear. Especially bystanders. The last thing she wanted was to be ostracized by the people because of her crude words.

_'Oh. You're not making noises anymore, I see. I wish you'd keep your thoughts to yourself. They are very-as you would say-gross.'_

_ 'I'm sorry,' _she apologized profusely, trying to ignore the way everyone was staring at her expectantly. Squall was still cursing and muttering next to her, thank the heavens. She didn't want him breathing down her throat and demanding things at the moment. _'I didn't know…I forgot and everything…' _

_ 'It's all right…I suppose. I put myself to sleep halfway through…your little session. I would rather not have nightmares.'_

_ 'Oh come on, we couldn't have been that bad!' _Well, we probably were, she thought. She was just trying to make light talk to get rid of this humiliating experience. She wondered what Kamakiri had been thinking when he'd heard Squall say 'It's just about the two of us…'

"Agh!" she yelled out loud, something that wasn't intentional. She glared at Sephiroth for some reason unknown to her. Maybe because she blamed him for not telling her sooner. "You could've said something."

"I did," Sephiroth pointed out. "You just didn't remember."

_'I'm sorry,'_ she said again, not wanting to argue with Sephiroth any longer. She really did forget, anyways.

_ 'Alright, alright. Just tell me beforehand next time you do something like that.'_

Yuffie promised him that she would. Even though he was housed in her mind, she had to awe at who was really the burden to who. She seemed to be giving him more stress than he could ever give in a lifetime.

"Ok…now that that's taken care of," she glared at everyone. She certainly didn't miss their downcast looks when she didn't explain what she and Kamakiri had talked about. Sometimes they could be so nosey. _'But I'm the nosiest,_' she couldn't help but add. "We can all hang our stars on the tree!"

"What t'hell you talkin' about?" Cid demanded, being his normal self despite his injuries and the holidays. "What stars?"

Yuffie walked over to him and forcibly yanked the coffee from him, taking sips of it. "The wishing stars, dumb bum. You get to choose a colored paper, you write a wish on it, and then you hang it on the tree. Then everyone stands around it and prays for them to all come true."

Cid snorted, drawing out a cigarette. "I've never heard of it."

"They do it every year," Aerith said, rolling her eyes. "You just never participated in it. You were too busy terrorizing all the dressed up Santas."

"I did no such thing," he defended himself when he saw Shera glare at him.

"Cid!" she yelled, slapping his shoulder. She snatched the cig from his mouth and threw it into the snow where he couldn't retrieve it. "You scared people on the holidays? You're terrible!"

"I didn't!" he snapped, standing up. "That was my last damn cigarette, ya stupid woman! And give me back my damn coffee!" He yelled the last line to Yuffie, who had finished it off and put it down in the snow.

"STUPID!?" Shera shrilled, diverting his attention back to her. "Don't you dare-"

"Oh will you-"

"I can't believe they still argue like that," Aerith said thoughtfully. The five of them had actually walked away while the couple argued. That wasn't anything out of the ordinary. They could fight like hounds for the whole day, and still manage to get along right before bed. I wonder why…

"I can," Yuffie quipped. "Cid can get anyone all riled up." She spotted a tall, aging woman handing large and small colored stars to people passing by. "Oh, over there! Come on!"

They all walked over to the woman, known as Trig. Yuffie had never found out why everyone called her that. She knew for a fact that that wasn't the real woman's name. Squall told her that she an amazing trigonometry teacher on her own planet, hence the name. Yuffie thought that she was a trigger-happy assassin. And Cid just believed that there were some sick parents out there that called their kids stupid names. Funny enough, he had looked directly at Squall and Cloud when he said this.

"Squall," she muttered, trying not to laugh. She had to admit that wasn't exactly a completely normal name, but she still liked it. The man in question looked down at her, kissing her head.

"What is it?" he slid his arm around her waist, making her feel like a Siamese twin. She doubted that he realized how strong he was. She really did feel like he was trying to attach her to him.

"Nothing," she said quietly, not wanting him to know what she was giggling about. He'd probably not appreciate her telling him that.

"Why's your name Trig?" They all stared at Sephiroth, who had stated the question so bluntly. They were mostly taken over by surprise though that he'd just asked a question that they'd been wondering about for years. And he'd just met her. The middle-aged woman smiled kindly, handing him five stars in the process.

"My mother named me that," she told them, not even wavering as she said this. "Would you need any more stars?"

"Yes," Aerith said, choosing not to look at Yuffie, who was covering her face with her hands in a feeble attempt. "Seven more, actually."

"Seven?" Trig asked in wonder. "That's a lot of friends you got there."

Aerith quietly reflected on her friends: two sword wielders, a pilot, a mechanic, a ninja, a Keyblade master, two ex-murderers, two animals, and one princess. Not the most normal group, but definitely the specialist. She took the other stars without a word, but just nodded. They all walked away while managing to keep straight faces. As they found a spot at an outdoor restaurant where they could sit down, Yuffie exploded.

"Cid was actually right!" She sighed, reflecting on what he said. "Well he's right most of the time, but holy crap, I didn't think his theory was even possible. Holy crap."

"Just don't let him hear you say that," Cloud muttered. He too, was in deep thought, mostly about the fifth edition to their group. He was actually walking around with Sephiroth, and none of them were fighting. It was like they were…friends. "I need a pen," he stated absently.

"I don't have o-" Aerith began, stopping short when she saw Sephiroth reach into his long duster and pull out about seven fountain pens. They all sat there and stared for a moment, the table completely silent. He looked at all them.

"What?" he asked, sounding innocent for once. Squall was the first to say something. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very intellectual one.

"What the hell?" he asked incredulously. "You carry around pens?"

"No," Sephiroth said calmly. "I got bored waiting in that hospital, so I snatched these off the desks of the workers."

"These are from the hospital?" Aerith demanded, looking seriously offended. Yuffie found that quite funny. Anything bad happened to the hospital, and Aerith acted like someone had attacked her own child.

"The great Sephiroth steals pens from hospitals," Cloud muttered. "What is the world coming to?"

"Those workers paid for those pens!" Aerith ranted on.

"Aerith, those ballpoints cost about fifty-nine cents," Yuffie said sardonically, and at the same time trying to calm her. Squall said nothing, just busied himself with writing down his wish. While everyone freaked out about the pens and from where they were from, he just took one and used it. It wasn't that hard.

Eventually, everyone seemed to realize this too. Aerith finally resigned from battering the general with her words, silently writing down her own intentions. They all sat at the table once they'd finished, nobody saying anything. A grumbling stomach abruptly resounded around the table, coming mainly from Yuffie.

"I'm hungry," she declared, speaking for her stomach. "Let's get something."

"What do you want?" Squall asked, slipping his star into his jacket. He didn't want anyone to chance a peek at it just yet.

"I dunno…" They called over a waiter, and after a few moments, they all ordered what they wanted. As they waited for their late dinner, Aerith spoke up.

"This feels wrong without Cid and Sora and the others," she murmured, looking guilty. Cloud rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"They already ate, remember? Besides, it's not like we're their keepers. If they're hungry, they can go find their own food." Cloud nuzzled her head in reassurance of his words. Aerith nodded numbly and took a sip of her tea.

Yuffie, meanwhile, picked at the salad on her plate, shifting it around to look like a face. She didn't want to eat too much of it. Her stomach had shrunken considerably over the last month, and she wanted enough room to eat her actual meal. She couldn't help staying away from her glass of soda though. She hadn't had coke in a long time and every time she looked at it she had an incredible urge to drink some. She watched everyone else sip at their drinks. She wondered if they had noticed her trying some of theirs when they weren't looking.

"Does yours have alcohol?" she directed her question at Sephiroth. He nodded, then smirked a little.

"I saw you drink it already, so you don't have to say anything."

Aerith laughed out of nowhere. Apparently, they'd all seen her, but had chosen not to say anything. That was pretty demeaning, especially to a ninja like her, but she didn't let it bother her.

By the time the food came, Yuffie was one her third cup of coke. She tried to believe in her little philosophy that liquids and solids went to two different stomachs as she started to chomp down on her burger. This thing tasted so _good, _and she was willing herself not to get full just yet. She still needed to eat some fries!

"You can slow down," Cloud commented as he balanced his fork halfway between his mouth and plate. "Last time you eat that fast you blew some pretty colorful chunks."

"And spit all over us," Squall added.

Aerith had to put her two cents in too. "And had a stomach ache for hours."

Yuffie threw her hands up. "Oh fine! You're all against me." She looked at Sephiroth, who was silently eating some sort of seafood platter. Noticing that she was looking at him expectantly, he spoke calmly.

"As long as it's not on me, I don't care what you do." He went back to eating as Yuffie made a victorious cry.

"Ha! At least someone isn't plotting against me." She quickly went back to inhaling her food, leaving everyone else to stare in wonder. Was this really the same girl that had faced death only days before?

In the end, Yuffie did have some pretty intense urges to throw up, but managed to hold it in. They paid for their bill and left, now all filled with food and relatively happy. As they neared the tree again, they could see people standing around it in a large circle, looking up in wonder. They quickly pushed through the crowds, finding Cid and the others already there. They had filled up their own stars, so Aerith went to return the ones they'd gotten for them. As they all stood around in a large group, Yuffie softly spoke.

"What'd you wish for?" It was a general question, and judging from the way she said it, it wasn't something they had to answer.

Aerith, Kairi, and Shera were naturally the first inclined to answer. Their answers mostly had to do with 'peace for these worlds', 'true love to last forever' and stuff like that. Donald and Goofy had wished for the welfare of their king. That left only the most powerful fighters of their group to answer.

"I would say, 'to find my light', but that's happened already," Cloud started. He kissed Aerith softly on the cheek. "So I wished that I could keep that light."

Yuffie nodded, happy that everyone was telling her. She knew that the wishes were private, but she was contented they were also all open enough with each other that they could say it out loud. Sora and Riku were next.

"I wished that I didn't have to go through this again," Sora said comically, holding up his crown necklace as an explanation. Riku had a similar answer to that, only his was, "Not to be in darkness ever again."

She looked to Sephiroth. "To start…over again," he said after some time, turning his head away. She smiled and gave him an awkward, but warm pat on the arm. His head was turned away and she couldn't see his face that well but…she believed that he had smiled.

The mayor suddenly appeared on a podium, clearing his throat. He spoke over the din of the crowds, his voice loud and booming. He spoke of the history of Traverse Town, and of the recent events. He made a commemoration to those that had died, saying that there was a book up on the podium where people could write the names of their dead loved ones. Yuffie made a mental note to write down Sphinx and…

**Luxina.**

She sighed, staring up into the brilliant night sky. She remembered a fonder time when she had looked up at the stars, half out of anger from finding out that Squall had been engaged. She sighed again, just to clear her mind.

_'If it wasn't for you…'_ she thought, trailing off. Luxina had started off a chain of events that had turned from petty to catastrophic. She wondered if Luxina was in horror at what her jealousy had caused, marveling up there somewhere. She also wondered if the older woman realized that if it hadn't been for her, she wouldn't have realized how wonderful life was.

It was true. Before being controlled by Sephiroth, being diagnosed…she didn't think much of life. Her parents had been taken away from her, her home destroyed, and the one man she loved completely hated her. She thought she was just about ready to die. Then when Luxina came, she was hurtled into a world of rage that eventually turned out into something that was beyond her control. Now, she could reflect on every moment of pain and suffering, and come to realize she had to be one of the luckiest people in the world. She was loved, safe, and (mostly) healthy. She couldn't believe that she'd actually thought about ever throwing that away.

"…On this night we remember those dear to us…"

She reached her hand up to her cheek, realizing she was crying because of the mayor's words. She had a reason to cry, she believed. Her body held scars that she doubted anyone her age had. Her mind had been put through about as much stress as a psychotic's. And her heart had been forced to break down and mend several times. Was she really that blessed?

_Yes._

A beautiful young little girl with brilliant red hair tied into pigtails was raised onto a ladder, high above the tree. She showed no fear, despite the towering height that she stood at. Yuffie watched the brave and beaming child hold up a crystalline angel, bright and glimmering. Slowly, the girl placed the angel at the top of the tree, completing the magnificent sight. Caroling started, sweet and pure. As the music played on and the little girl was lowered down, Yuffie looked up at the man who held her, the man that she loved.

"Squall?" she whispered the name quietly, looking up with wide eyes. He looked down at her, blue eyes gentle and understanding. "What…did you wish for?"

He smiled and pulled her in for kiss as a new song was started up, jovial and saccharine.

"I would say, 'To be brought to life,'" he started, using Cloud's words. "But that's already happened. So I wished…to live like this always." He kissed her then, slow and gentle. Yuffie smiled and leaned into him, never feeling happier. Her own wish echoed in her head.

_I wish for a happily ever after._

She had made it-she was alive. She was with the love of her life, she had a wild and wonderful array of friends, and she had a home again. She closed her eyes and kissed him again, long and passionate. She could finally say something that she'd wished to say for years, ever since she was a kid and read those romance novels. With the stars shining above them, and music in her ears, she sighed, whispering softly into Squall's ear.

"The end."

* * *

A/N: AHHH!! IT'S OVER!!! ::cries her heart out:: Yes, I am truly sad that it's over. I know I said I hated it as I went along, but near the end, I suddenly became so attached and eager to write it. This is the longest chapter but it feels like the shortest…. And now it's over….WAHHH!!

Aside from that, I am also in near tears from my reviewer's overwhelming support. I have never gotten so many reviews in a chapter before. The response was just amazing. No one said they were missed, and am happy about that. Just to show my love, I will write down the names of those who just reviewed, just to show I really appreciated it.

Zarrel's Darkside

Greyspark

Rikus-angel15

Kody

Aeris Gainsborough

Taryn

Fanficlvr

Suzu

Fireangel29

I think those were all the ones…sorry if I missed or repeated. I had to jump back and forth from the internet to my last chapter to this, and I got kinda dizzy in the process.

So..what'd you think of it? I know, it's outta the norm that Sephiroth's walking around with them like a normal person, huh? That's what I was aiming for. Come on people, you gotta give the guy a break.

And whoo, that sex scene. GET IT ON!! Ahem, but anyways, I'm sorry if it's weird. I'm bad at romance, to be honest. That's why Yuffie kept interrupting him and stuff.

I would really appreciate it if all of you reviewed again. Then maybe it will fuel me to write my other story faster. Just think of it this way: the faster I write my 'Warrior, I Am,' the faster a sequel will come out for this. How 'bout it?

Hee hee, I'm evil, I know. REVIEW!!

Ok, one last thing. Seriously. Wanna know what Sphinx looked like? Ok…look here: MsoNormal This is Mia, from .hack/Sign. That's where I got the idea for Sphinx. She looks exactly like Mia…just picture her all black with no clothes…--

Again, review!!

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